Superwomen of Eva 2: Hunter's Legacy
by orionpax09
Summary: Hikari has known great burdens of responsibility. But when an accident changes her forever, she will find greater weights and gifts as she fights for this world...
1. The Experiment

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to DC Comics or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Chapter 1: The Experiment

There were days when Hikari Horaki couldn't help but feel old.

In a way, she knew that many people would be incredulous at such a notion. After all, she was an energetic young lady of fourteen, the middle daughter of three girls, and every inch the model schoolgirl. A freckled girl with brown hair done up in pigtails, and about as average in appearance as was possible.

But appearances did nothing to stave off the weight responsibility had placed upon her shoulders. The weight of being the Horaki family matriarch, the weight of tending to the needs of her younger and older sisters, and the weight of doing things that she would much rather not be bothered with for their sakes.

Her present situation was a prime example of that sort of situation.

"Kodama! What are we doing here? This is boring!" came the piercing voice of Nozomi, Hikari's younger sister.

"What are you talking about? Look at this place!" Kodama returned with an air of incredulity. Gesturing at the various artifacts that surrounded the three girls. "How can you possibly be bored _here?!_"

While Nozomi was rolling her eyes in frustrated disbelief, Hikari gave a sigh of resignation, knowing from experience that she was in for a very long day. The younger girl still in grade school, and Kodama presently in college, and the difference in age and schooling was probably the least different things about them. Nozomi had very little in the way of an attention span, and enjoyed anything that was active and exciting. As for Kodama, she was a far more scientific bent, and quickly became enthused with anything to be found in a science text.

As Hikari surveyed the various items surrounding them, she watched as Kodama smiled broadly before going up to one of the items on display. "I mean, look at this!" the eldest sister enthused, gesturing at the object. "This rock was taken from an asteroid while it was still _in space_! The astronauts were actually able to leave the shuttle and perform an excavation on the asteroid itself!"

"So?" Nozomi asked with a level of disinterest only a girl her age seemed capable of.

"So, this is a raw, untouched sample of extraterrestrial material, completely unchanged by the affects of atmospheric entry!" Kodama explained. "I mean, think about! A perfect sample! And what people did in order to get it…!"

"Space rocks are bad," Nozomi declared, narrowed her eyes in cute rebellion.

"Says who?" Kodama demanded.

"Everybody does!" the younger girl retorted. "A space rock caused Second Impact, remember?"

Shaking her head at Nozomi's answer, the eldest sister countered, "Well, _this _space rock had absolutely nothing to do that." When the younger girl remained unimpressed, Kodama added, "Anyway, think of what people have learned from objects like this! About the structure of the universe, the possibility of alien life -!"

"I bet the Angels are aliens," Nozomi grumbled.

"No less alien than those things in those anime you watch all the time," Kodama pointed out, losing her patience.

"That's different!" Nozomi protested. "Ryoko and Ayeka are good aliens! Not like the Angels!"

"Well, did it ever occur to you that we might find evidence of other 'good aliens' from things like this?" Kodama stated, smiling like the cat that had eaten the canary. Nozomi's answer was to look away in a sulky manner, something the eldest sister took as a sign of victory.

Though Hikari sometimes found the bickering of her siblings to be amusing, this was not one of those times. This was due in part to the added stress that had become a part of their lives. Though their father, Tanaka Horaki, was a kind and loving father, he was also a technician at NERV, an organization that was the only real line of defense against the Angels. While this post was difficult in and of itself, there were others problems with such a life, including living a city that had been designed to be a fortress, capable of weathering any assault.

Then, less than a week ago, the entire city had been evacuated. Every citizen of Tokyo-3 and much of the NERV personnel had been sent fleeing for their lives in the face of a terrible danger. And even after the danger had passed, things had yet to return to normal for the city and its inhabitants.

_I can't believe how close we came…to losing everything, _Hikari mulled, feeling a dull chill, the echo of fears she had felt before. The pigtailed girl thinking of the days that had followed their return to Tokyo-3, of her conversations with Asuka Langley-Sohryu.

As a pilot of one of the three mighty Evangelions, Asuka had been present for the confrontation with this latest Angel. She had gone into great detail about the battle, particularly how she had been the one to levy the fatal blow against the monster. And if the German girl had stuck to her normal braggadocio, then Hikari would have been just fine with that, having long since grown accustomed to Asuka's bravado.

But Asuka had gone into greater deal. Had gone on to describe how close all of Tokyo-3 had come to annihilation. Of how, not just NERV, but the homes and livelihoods of everyone who could resided within the fortress city had come to being destroyed forever. And how dangerously close Hikari had come to losing three fellow students, one of whom was her best friend, and how her family had very nearly lost the stability and reassurance that having a place to call home brought them, and every little treasure and item of luxury they had.

A few years ago, Hikari had lost her mother, and had almost been broken by it, along with her sisters. Losing her home and watching her family suffer the agony of such an occurrence was something she had very much feared she would not be able to withstand.

This was why, when Kodama had been invited by one of her college professors to assist him in some project, Hikari had thought it would be a good idea for the three sisters to make a trip out of it. To do something to forget their woes and maybe do some other fun things while they were at it. Especially since the project related to a major exhibition taking place at the university regarding manned exploration of space, something that had gone dead in the post-Impact world. The pigtailed matriarch had honestly thought it would be interesting for all three of the girls.

It had seemed like a good idea on paper. But unfortunately for Hikari, the transition from paper to real life very rarely went as planned, with a number of difficulties clogging things up. The train being late had been the very first thing to go wrong, with Nozomi immediately falling prey to boredom as the three girls moved about the display hall, which had some old equipment and various rocks and other artifacts on display. No animatronics, no video shows, nothing that would spark the younger girl's interest.

"C'mon, sister! Can't we go to the mall or someplace fun?" Nozomi asked plaintively. The little girl tugging at Hikari's sleeve in an effort to force all attention on her. "There's nothing to do here!"

Stung by this declaration, Kodama whirled about, clearly intent on explaining all the wonderfully scientific things that could and would be done in a well-equipped facility such as Tokyo-2 University. Her face shifting from annoyance to sympathy as she looked at Hikari's face, and apparently realizing the burden that was being placed on her. Giving the middle sister a sympathetic look, Kodama said, "Actually, Hikari…you really don't have to stay here. What Professor Ousugi has planned shouldn't take all that long, and there's a pizza place and arcade where a lot of the guys hang out. It's practically on campus, and…

_You have no idea how tempting that is, _Hikari thought ruefully. A feeling that was increased by Nozomi jumping up and down in excitement, almost sending the pigtailed girl to the floor in her enthusiasm.

Unfortunately, there was one thing all three Horaki girls had in common, and that was having a stubborn streak as wide as an Eva was tall. And Hikari had set about this plan with the hopes of the three of them being able to relax _together. _Spend some time as a family, something that had been eluding them as of late.

"Well…" Hikari started, considering her options. Then with a reluctant sigh, she said, "Okay…but I'd like to at least meet your sensei. I'd hate to have come all this way without at least seeing him."

While it was clear Nozomi was disappointed that they would not be immediately departing this place for a location more to her liking, the fact that Hikari was making this concession was enough to stop her from adding a whine to her petulant face. While Kodama managed to smile for her benefit. "Okay," the eldest sister spoke. "Just be careful, okay? Sensei's lab is kinda…crowded."

* * *

"What hit this place?" Nozomi wondered, her little eyes bulging clear out of their sockets. "An earthquake, or a hurricane?"

Stifling a groan of dismay, Hikari couldn't help but privately agree with her little sister. The small room in which the three girls had found themselves in contained a series of shelves upon which boxes filled with various articles. There were also many boxes on the floor, as way as research notes and papers here and there. All of it giving the impression of a chaos that might one day be unraveled and understood. Though probably by a computer far superior to all three of the MAGI.

"Nozomi!" Kodama gasped, shushing the little girl, her eyes narrowed with wariness. Stiffening at the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Neither, actually," came a refined, male voice. The sisters shifted about, watching as a tall, slender man with a cigarette butt dangling carelessly from his lips came into view. He was dressed very casually in slacks, a loose shirt and a crooked tie, and a rumpled lab coat. An untidy mop of dark hair topped him off.

"Oh, sensei!" Kodama blurted as the man approached, wrapping his arms about her. The eldest Horaki daughter returned his embrace, and when it was eventually broken, she looked back at her sisters. "Um…about what Nozomi said…"

Waving his hand, the scientist smiled easily. "Think nothing of it, my dear!" Professor Ousugi replied, dismissing the young woman's concerns. "After all, several of my colleagues have wondered if Second Impact was somehow responsible for my lab's condition. And right to my face, I might add!" As the older man laughed at his own joke, the other two girls joined in, followed shortly by Kodama. Still chuckling over his own wit, the scientist moved to examine his student's sisters.

"Now, let's see…" Ousugi began, a finger at his lip. He then pointed at the girls, saying, "You're Hikari, and Nozomi, right?"

"That's right," Hikari returned with a nod.

"Oh, good. I was worried I'd gotten them mixed up," Ousugi smiled once again, giving a casual shake of his head. "Show me an asteroid or a pulsar, and I can rattle off everything you could ever want to know about it, but when it comes to people's names, I can barely my own, let alone those of others."

When Nozomi once again laughed, Hikari felt her own heart lightening somewhat. She had so wanted for the three of them to be as a family on this trip, without any splitting up, each sister doing her own thing. Something that seemed more likely now.

If there was anything she had learned from the loss of her mother, it was that there wasn't always enough time to do everything, say everything that should be said and done. That moments together should never be wasted.

"So, Kodama told me that the two of you were interested in having a little look-see at our little experiment today," the professor went on. His demeanor that as of caller for a circus, a veritable magnet for the curious.

"Uh, that's right, sensei," Kodama agreed, eyeing Hikari. "Maybe you could…tell them what you had in mind?"

"Oh, it's just spectacular! Simply spectacular!" Ousugi grinned, speaking more with his hands than with his mouth. "A few months ago, I was able to acquire a sample of a meteorite that had crashed to earth several years ago. Now, I'll admit that at first glance, this sample didn't look all that impressive." With the younger girls successfully hooked, the professor grinned as he led up to his bombshell. "I stress, at first glance. However…"

"However…" Hikari prompted when the scientist trailed off. Seeming to revel in the tension he created.

"Then, we took a cutting of the specimen's core, and performed a full spectral analysis," Ousugi went on, pacing about before the two girls. "And you'll never believe what we found!"

"Sensei, please!" Kodama chided, her face too full of amusement to be taken seriously. "Don't you think you've milked the suspense enough?"

Giving his student a somewhat pouty look, Ousugi shook his head before returning his attention to her sisters. "That Kodama. She never lets me have _any _fun!"

"Tell me about it!" Nozomi grinned, taking an immediate liking to the man.

Sharing in her little sister's enthusiasm, Hikari gave the professor a more serious look. "So…what did you find?"

"A miracle! A mystery of the cosmos that shall shed light on the very nature of life itself!" Ousugi went on. Only to be cut short by Kodama clearing her throat. Giving a reluctant sigh, the professor settled down. "Well, before I explain the nature of my find, I'll ask you this. Are either of you heard about the missions to Mars, or explorations of passing asteroids? Of how fossilized cell samples were found in samples taken from them?"

"Yeah?" Nozomi asked.

"Well, we found something like that, except for one major difference!" Ousugi grinned brightly. Squatting down so as to look the two girls straight in their eyes, the scientist allowed the moment to grow, to fill with tension. "The samples we found aren't fossilized."

Confusion exploded within Hikari's mind, and a quick glance revealed that Nozomi was in a similar state. The two girls looked the scientist to each other and back again. "What?" Hikari gaped.

"You mean…you've got a real live alien in there?" Nozomi demanded.

"Oh, don't get me wrong! It's just a sample of cells, and I'm not sure that the word 'live' really applies," Ousugi corrected them. "But these cells are completely organic, and appear to be intact specimens," the professor explained, his excitement growing with each word he spoke. "Intact enough for me to try…a little experiment."

"An experiment?" Hikari asked.

"Sensei thinks that it might be possible to stimulate the cells," Kodama explained. "If we hit them with a proper band of low-band EM frequencies…"

"Then for a very short time, those cells should function as they did when they were truly alive!" the professor exalted, clenching his fists with excitement. Looking every bit like a little boy, getting ready for a day at an amusement park. "In that brief period, we will not only have evidence of alien life, but a better glimpse at how that life in fact _lived!_ Cellular metabolism, functions, a thousand things we can only guess at!"

"On top of that, if the procedure does work, the cells should recover enough for us to be able to extract an intact sampling of DNA," Kodama added brightly. "We might be able to map out an alien genome, possibly even perform a tissue reconstruction!"

Nozomi's cute little face wrinkled up at this. "Tissue reconstruction?"

"You mean…you might even be able to tell…what these things looked like?" Hikari gasped disbelievingly.

"_Precisely!" _Ousugi jumped. "All my life, I've studied astronomy, have postulated on the possibility of alien life! And now I have the chance to perhaps look at our unknown neighbors _in the face!"_

Blinking as she looked Kodama, unsure whether to be jumping with excitement as well or looking into loony bins for the professor, Hikari settled for giving Ousugi a baffled look. "Well…that sounds great and all, but…if that's the case…why don't you report this to…?"

"Some higher authority?" Ousugi gathered. When Hikari nodded, the scientist gave a bitter snort. "Young lady, even if Second Impact hadn't forced a rather substantial shift away from space exploration, having NERV gobble up every scrap of available money has made my kind of research into extraterrestrial phenomena all but impossible!"

"Sensei!" Kodama chided.

"I know, I know! And I certainly don't hold your father responsible for the bureaucratic mentality that I must suffer with! And I am fully aware that all of the knowledge in the universe won't do humanity an ounce of good if we're not around to enjoy it!" the professor grumbled in a good-natured fashion. Shrugging helplessly, Ousugi returned his attention to the two girls. "I'm simply trying to explain to these fine young ladies that, at the moment, I'm about as a high an authority as one can expect to find in regards to such matters."

"Oh," Hikari got out, seeing the older man's point.

"Sorry," Nozomi added, shuffling about on her feet.

"What are you talking about? If anyone should be sorry, it should be me for sounding off like that!" Ousugi responded, instantly regaining his good humor. Placing a hand on the girls' shoulders, he declared, "Tell you what! After we're done making history here, how about we go out for pizza and ice cream? My treat?"

Hikari could only grin as Nozomi jumped for joy. Professor Ousugi had obviously made a fan out of her.

"So, how about it, ladies?" the professor went on, grinning infectiously. "Are you in the mood to see history in the making?"

* * *

Moving quickly, Ousugi escorted the Horaki sisters to another section of the university, one that was as neat and tidy as his own lab was a disaster area. Machines and computers hummed quietly in the background, devices whose functions Hikari could only guess surrounded her. And in the center of it all was a massive machine that looked like a cross between a dentist's X-ray machine and a blaster that would look at home on a Klingon battle cruiser.

"Behold! The spectral transponder!" Ousugi gushed, gesturing at the machine before them. Hikari had already discovered that the professor was a man of many expressions and demeanors. Now he was adding the look of a proud father to his repertoire as he gazed at the device. "This is the little darling we'll be using to get a better look at our extraterrestrial neighbors!"

"Do you think that they'll be bad aliens or good aliens?" Nozomi wondered.

Easily smiling in the face of the child's question, Ousugi shrugged. "Well, I'm afraid that this device isn't _quite _sophisticated enough to be able to answer a question like that," the professor admitted laughingly. "All we can do is hope that it's up to the task of getting a few cells to roll over and play alive for a while!"

"I wouldn't worry about it, Nozomi," Kodama told the girl. "Even if something goes wrong, I really don't think an Angel will pop out and destroy us."

"Alright, then! Kodama! Ready the transponder for action! Ladies! Why don't you get behind that shielding over there?" Professor Ousugi instructed as he marched purposely to one side of the lab. "It's time for me to fetch…the guest of honor!"

"Hikari, Nozomi, this way," Kodama instructed, the eldest sister ushering her siblings behind a thick transparency. "The transponder will only be emitting at the low band of the EM spectrum, but there's no harm in playing it safe."

"No arguments here," Hikari agreed as the two girls took up position.

"Okay," Kodama spoke as she moved away. "Now, I'll be with the professor at the control station. Just wait right here until the procedure is done, and _don't touch anything!_"

"How can we? There's nothing to touch!" Nozomi protested. The eldest Horaki sister rolled her eyes at this, giving a groan of despair as she turned and made her way over to her station. Leaving the remaining siblings to watch and wait.

It wasn't long before Professor Ousugi reappeared, gingerly handling a small tray. With a grin of anticipation, the scientist placed the sample upon a podium at the center of the lab before darting off to join Kodama.

"Everything's in place!" the scientist grinned, rubbing his hands together in glee. "Kodama! Align the spectral transponder with the sample!"

"Right, sensei!" Kodama answered. Hikari watched as her elder sister moved with practiced ease, depressing several key controls. The arm from which the transponder hung swung about, moving the device so that it hovered above the podium, the barrel pointed directly at it.

"I'm bringing all the sensory equipment online!" Ousugi announced he leapt from one control panel to the next. As he did so, the various machines within the lab began to home with greater force, the lab lighting up like a Christmas tree. "We have to get as much data as possible! Every scrap of information! I don't know how long we'll be able to stimulate the cells into activity, but we can't afford to miss out on even a moment of their renewed life!"

With Kodama the very essence of control and the professor prancing about like he was practicing for a hopscotch tournament, Hikari could only shake her head in amusement at the contrast in their personalities. And wait for the two of them to complete their preparations.

After what felt like forever but was probably only a couple minutes, Hikari finally heard Professor Ousugi clap his hands together. "Get ready, ladies! It is now…show time!" the scientist exalted. "Kodama! Activate the transponder! It's time to see how well our guest of honor dances!"

"I'm bringing the spectral transponder online…now!" Kodama declared, and with final press of a button, the transponder came to life. A wave of rainbow light sprang forth from the barrel, bathing the podium in its light.

"Wow! It's so pretty!" Nozomi enthused, something Hikari had to agree with.

"Sensei…I'm getting readings from the sample!" Kodama declared, a grin splitting her face. "We're detecting signs of cellular activity!"

"Marvelous! Stupendous! Extraordinary!" Professor Ousugi cried out, jumping frantically from one station to another, looking at the various readouts. "Look at this data! The biochemical analysis! The energy potential! Cellular metabolism! All of it right there! Extraterrestrial biological functions, and we're witnessing them with our own eyes!"

Nozomi grinned at Hikari, who grinned in return. Watching the scientist bound about his lab like an overexcited schoolboy was far more interesting and entertaining then the experiment itself could ever be.

A couple of minutes passed, with the scientist and his student going about their business. Rapt in their work and oblivious to anything else. Then a suspicious beeping made its way to Hikari's ears, and when the young matriarch looked at the control booth, she saw concern ghosting Kodama's face. "Sensei…?"

"Hmm?" Professor Ousugi returned, barely conscious of Kodama as he went about his work.

"I'm getting an odd reading here," the young woman admitted. This succeeded in grabbing the professor's attention, and he came to hover over her shoulder. "These readings…they're growing too fast!"

"Oh, no…!" the scientist gasped in horror. "We've overloaded the cellular membranes! Quick1 Shut the transponder down before it -!"

Even as Professor Ousugi spoke these words, it was too late. The tiny specimen in the center of the room exploded in a plume of smoke, the foul vapors spilling out across the floor and spreading out towards the viewing area.

"Nozomi!" Hikari gasped out, hurriedly wrapping her arms about her sister and pushing her as far away from the noxious cloud as she could. Shielding the little girl's mouth and nose with the sleeve of her shirt, Hikari moved her to a safe distance, coughing as the rancid fumes filled her lungs. Her eyes tearing badly, the pigtailed girl was blinded as she tried to make her way to safety.

"Sister!" came the muffled voice of Nozomi, but Hikari couldn't make sense of it. She couldn't make sense of anything as the world swirled about her. Sending her off her feet, falling to the floor as she descended into a pool of darkness.

* * *

"I simply cannot apologize enough for what happened to you today, my dear," Professor Ousugi spoke sorrowfully. Now wearing the face of man witnessing a loved one on his or her deathbed. "I can't imagine what could have gone wrong back there."

"It's not your fault, Professor," Hikari replied. The girl was currently lying on a couch in his office, a bag of ice on her head.

"That's right, sensei! You couldn't have known something like that would happen! None of us could!" Kodama insisted, placing a reassuring hand on her mentor's shoulder. "To be honest…I'm not even sure _what _happened back there!"

"Clearly, these cells have a very low tolerance for heat or excessive levels of energy," the professor grimaced. "They must have come from an environment substantially cooler than our own, and – oh, I'm sorry! Here I am, rambling on like an idiot after what I did to you!"

"Its okay, Professor," Hikari answered. "After all…it's not like you forced me to come and watch."

Frowning despondently, Nozomi looked at the girl who had just suffered. "Are you _sure _you're all right, sister?"

Mustering up a weak grin, Hikari answered, "Aside from this ringing in my ears, yeah. I'm okay." Taking her sister's hand in her own, the pigtailed girl added, "Okay enough to go out for pizza and ice cream."

While Nozomi was sucking in a delighted breath, Kodama frowned in concern. "Hikari, are you sure about that?" the eldest sister asked. "I really think you should see a doctor, and…"

"Kodama, really! I'm _fine!"_ Hikari returned, which was more or less true. While the middle sister was feeling somewhat under the weather, she didn't feel it significant enough to warrant an immediate examination. "Besides, it's not like I'd get a case of alien cooties from that stuff, right?"

Nodding, the professor told them, "That's correct. According to our analysis, the cells in that sample overheated and exploded. And even if they haven't all gone up in smoke, without continued bombardment from the transponder, then they would return dormancy."

"Which means no I'm in no danger of becoming moon sick," Hikari commented as she sat herself up. Needing to be strong for the sake of her sisters. Then allowing herself to smile once more, she looked at the professor. "So…if that offer for a treat still stands…I'd like to take you up on it."

Sighing as he shed his fearful expression, Professor Ousugi once again adopted one of boyish glee. "Well, in that case, ladies, let us be off then!" the scientist declared, putting a cigarette in his mouth and lighting it. "After having to put up with a poor man's mad scientist, you -!"

The professor was cut off as Hikari issued a strangled gasp, and practically fell off the couch. Her sisters quickly fell next to her. "Hikari, are you all right?" Kodama wondered. The middle sister gave a quick nod, to which Kodama shot up and gave the scientist an accusing look. "Sensei! What were you thinking?! Having a cigarette _now?! _After what just happened?!"

"Yeah!" Nozomi threw in, putting her hands to her hips and looking as officious as she could muster. "Didn't anyone tell you that smoking was bad for you?"

While Professor Ousugi sputtered in apology, putting out his cigarette, Hikari just sat there. Unable to speak, to explain that it wasn't the newly spawned smoke of the cigarette that had her fall over.

It was the lighter, which was still open. The flames of which filled the pigtailed girl with a deep, abiding fear…

* * *

Author's Notes: Since Mike313 did Hikari's story for "Superwomen of Eva", it only seems fair that I do her story for the "SOE2" series. Please, read and review! And maybe check out my other stories.

Now, those of you who are fans of DC comics probably have an idea or two what hero Hikari is becoming. For those of you not in the know…well, unlike Mike, I don't feel the need to blow the secret in the first chapter. And because I'm just so mean, I'm going to let all of you wait until I feel like updating this story again before I confirm any guesses you might have.

Until next time!


	2. A Little Green Around the Gills

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to DC Comics or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Chapter 2: A Little Green Around the Gills

Several days passed since the Horaki sisters ventured to Kodama's university, days in which Hikari soon recovered from her incident. And was as usual with such things, the fear that had been felt shortly after her exposure slowly faded, and was replaced by other things in the return to their normal schedule.

Humming to herself as she hovered busily over the oven, checking the pots and pans that were bubbling merrily under her supervision, Hikari performed the duties to which she had long since had grown accustomed to. The caring of her sisters and father, who would be doing something very unusual that day. He would be joining them for breakfast.

A technician at NERV, Tanaka Horaki wasn't one of the more highly elevated individuals within the secretive organization. And he certainly wasn't one of its better paid members. But he did his duties well, and worked obscene hours in the name of earning his family's daily bread. As a result, breakfast for him was more often than not a quick cup of coffee and maybe some form of pastry that he would grab on the way out the door. His NERV uniform rumpled as he rushed to grab the train.

In recent days, however, Tanaka's schedule had improved somewhat. The only Eva to have been damaged in the most recent battle had been Unit 01, and even that was minimal and easily repaired. Which meant that he would be allowed the simple luxury of dining with his daughters this morning. He might even be able to enjoy this for some time, or at least until the next Angel decided to throw things into chaos.

Still, Hikari did her best not to concern herself with 'what-ifs'. Life was crazy enough as it was. All she could really do was tend to her family's needs as best as she could. Which to her mind meant making times in which family could be together as blessed and wonderful as she could.

As the bountiful meal simmered away, requiring only time and heat to finish the job, Hikari mopped her brow before retreating a distance from the oven. She had five minutes before breakfast was ready to be served. Time enough to set the table and make certain that everything was perfect.

Carrying the plates and chopsticks into the dining room, Hikari observed her sisters going about their own morning routines. Which consisted of Nozomi watching cartoons, laughing at the cartoony explosions and mayhem being wreaked, while Kodama was busy studying her notes for whatever project she'd be working on that day. And doing absolutely nothing to help with breakfast.

_It's just as well, _Hikari thought, squelching the minor annoyance she felt. While Kodama was extraordinarily proficient when it came to the sciences, she was utterly incompetent as a homemaker. And as for Nozomi, she excitability and rambunctiousness. Either one of them attempting to assist would be counterproductive at best.

_Still, I wonder… _Hikari thought with grim amusement. The idea that either one of her sisters could be feigning ineptitude in order to get out of their share of the chores having occurred to her more than once.

Setting aside her more paranoid impulses, Hikari finished up the table and returned to the kitchen. Just in time, as it turned out, for everything was cooked to perfection. Taking the time to make doubly certain this was so, Hikari turned to look out at the rest of the Horaki household. "Breakfast is ready."

The reaction was instantaneous as Nozomi smiled in delight. Kodama also gave a pleased look as she started towards the table. Causing Hikari to smile at their anticipation of this meal.

That was before the pain hit.

"Hikari?" she heard Kodama speak, but Hikari couldn't focus on that. All she could do was bring her hand to her temple as she took an involuntary step backward. Unable to truly feel her own body, the middle sister staggered drunkenly until she felt a set of hands taking hold of her shoulders. Then her own name was spoken again, this time right into her ear.

"Hikari!" Kodama almost shouted, penetrating the last of the haze that had wrapped itself about the young matriarch's mind. As the fog cleared, Hikari gave a shake of her head, freeing up the rest of her faculties before she looked up into her sister's concerned visage. "Are you alright?"

"Sister?" Nozomi piped up. As Hikari focused on her, she saw the tiny girl staring from just outside the kitchen, her tiny face scrunched up with concern.

"Oh…" Hikari replied, getting her bearing and putting on her best 'mother' smile. Setting aside all weakness and doing her best to look strong. "I'm fine, Nozomi. I just…didn't sleep well last night, that's all."

Frowning suspiciously, the little girl eyed Hikari for a time. "Are you sure?"

Sighing inwardly, Hikari was once again reminded that Nozomi was fast approaching the age at which simple excuses wouldn't be enough to pacify her. "I'm _fine," _the middle sister assured her. Doing her best to look fine as well before diverting the younger girl's concern. "Now, why don't you go get Daddy while I serve breakfast? Okay?"

"Okay!" Nozomi returned eagerly. The young girl then bounced out of sight, her concerns already forgotten.

_I wish it was that simple for me, _Hikari thought to herself. Dropping all pretenses for the time, she turned to the task ahead of her. Aware that Kodama would be nowhere near as easy to dissuade.

As if this thought were her cue, the eldest sister looked at the girl, even as she moved about the pots and pans. "Hikari…"

"Please, Kodama. Not now," Hikari replied, turning off the heating units.

"Yes, now!" Kodama insisted. While the younger girl let an exasperated sigh escape her lips, ignoring her concerned sibling in favor of her duty, Hikari soon found an unwanted shadow following her. "Hikari…"

"I'm fine," Hikari insisted, checking the soup and rice.

"No, you're not," Kodama persisted. "Dammit, please! You've been having these dizzy spells ever since we were at sensei's lab, and -!"

"It's nothing serious," Hikari countered, mustering up a greater level of force as she prepared the individual servings.

"I'm not saying that it is!" Kodama responded.

"No, but you're thinking it," Hikari stated flatly. Making sure every speck of her attention was on breakfast. On her duties.

Grunting her annoyance, the elder sister retorted, "Oh, and now you're a mind reader, is that it?" When Hikari didn't bother to answer, Kodama shook her head wearily. "Look, I'm just saying that you should have a doctor check you out. That's all."

"No," Hikari countered. Sighing wearily, the younger girl turned to look her tormentor in the eye. "Kodama, I keep telling you, I'm _fine!"_

"Hikari…" Kodama tried again.

"No!" Hikari told her. Invoking the voice of authority that signaled that the discussion was officially over. As Kodama let go a reluctant sigh that was the equivalent of waving a white flag, the younger girl tried to reassure her. "Come on, it's no big deal."

"No big deal?" Kodama repeated disbelievingly.

"That's right," Hikari nodded. "I probably just had a bad reaction to that smoke, that's all." When Kodama groaned her annoyance, the younger girl smiled through it. "Besides, it's not as bad as it was before."

Which was true enough, they both knew. On the night the girls had first gotten back home, Hikari had been cleaning up in the kitchen when she had her first attack. The entire world had been turned on its side, sending the girl sprawling to the floor. It had been all Hikari could do to convince the elder sister not to call for a doctor right then and there. The only silver lining to that incident was that their father had been working late, meaning that he never learned of what had happened to Hikari that day, or of her attack.

As this bit of logic worked its magic, Hikari followed up with another ploy to get her well-meaning sibling to buzz off. "Anyway, the last thing I want is for your sensei to get in any trouble," she explained. Watching as thoughts of her goofy professor redirected Kodama's concern.

Sagging beneath her latest verbal defeat, Kodama managed to look her sister square in the eye. "Look, just do me a favor, okay?" she pleaded. "If you aren't feeling better in a few days, or if this thing gets worse…"

"I'll go right to the doctor's office like a good little girl," Hikari promised, smiling and nodding in confirmation.

"Alright," Kodama conceded. Pointing at the younger girl's nose, she added, "I'm going to hold you to that. Got it?"

"I'll accept that," Hikari agreed. Glad that the matter was once again settled, she eyed the older sister, curling up the corner of her lip. "Of course, if you're really so worried, then you won't mind helping me set the table. Now will you?"

A muffled groan escaping her lips, Kodama visibly winced before retreating a step. "Uh, sorry, sis," the older girl returned. "But I've still got lot of stuff to sort through for today's lab. You know how it is."

"Oh, sure. I understand," Hikari nodded. Watching in satisfaction as her sister finally retreated to the living room. Just as Nozomi was leading their father downstairs, completely unaware that anything was amiss.

"And what is that wonderful smell, hmm?" Tanaka wondered as he looked about, sniffing the air in a playful manner. Then he looked into the kitchen before moving up to Hikari. "Well, of course! What else can it except for another of Hikari's gastronomical miracles?"

"Good morning, Daddy!" Hikari replied happily. Grateful that this would be as perfect a morning as she could manage for her family. "Listen, why don't you three get seated? I'm about to serve."

"As you wish," Tanaka replied happily. Looking about at his other daughters, he said, "Well, you heard the boss! It's time to eat!"

Watching as her sisters seated themselves, Hikari set about the task at hand. Soon, the food was set out, and the Horaki family talked about what was going on in their lives. Making stupid jokes, and simply enjoying each other's company, the experience of being a family.

--------------------------------------------------------

As usual, the morning proceeded pretty much according to schedule. Tanaka and Kodama set out for their respective destinations after Hikari finished making their lunches, at which the pigtailed girl escorted Nozomi to her elementary school. After giving her a hug and wishing the little girl the best, Hikari continued her walk to school. Preparing herself for another set of duties.

_Just one of the problems with being responsible, _Hikari thought to herself as she arrived at her school. Exchanging greetings with her fellow students as she made her way to her classroom. _As soon as people notice it, they keep giving you more responsibilities!_

Moving to the head of the class, Hikari observed her classmates as the filed in and took their seats. Each of them making conversation or just groaning as they resigned themselves to another day of purgatory. And all of them keeping an eye on her as she prepared to go about her duties. This caused a tiny smile to appear on her face, for everyone there knew full well that her word was law there. Even more so than the elderly teacher who was supposed to be the highest authority there.

Automatically looking over the classroom, Hikari quickly ascertained that everyone was present and accounted for. The Eva pilots, the resident class clowns, and everyone else in between. Leaving her little to do but wait for the alarm to signal the beginning of class. As soon as it sounded, she straightened up just the tiniest bit more. "Stand, bow, sit," the girl announced, stepping towards her desk as the teacher appeared. Only to falter as every eye set upon her…and the world once again spun about her.

_No…not again! _Hikari cried out within her own mind. Struggling to fight off her weakness, to recover and get to her desk. To not let anyone know that something was wrong with her.

"Hikari?" came a familiar voice. As the dizziness loosened its grip on her, the pigtailed girl looked towards the source of the voice. Frowning her concern was the familiar face of Asuka Langley-Sohryu, something that eased Hikari's wariness. Managing a tiny smile for the German's benefit, Hikari managed to recover enough to get to her seat.

Sighing inwardly as she took the weight off of her rubbery legs, Hikari opened her laptop and watched as the teacher began his lesson. Knowing full well that he would eventually get off on some odd tangent, most likely to do with how much better things had been in the pre-Impact world, and would ultimately accomplish little and notice even less. Which was just fine with Hikari. It would allow her a much needed reprieve.

Placing her hands to her temples, Hikari contented herself to ride out the rest of the day as best as she could. For while she had been somewhat honest with Kodama regarding her condition in that it was improving, she had never told her older sibling just how _often_ she have these dizzy spells. With them being at their worst at school, as well as the aftermath of those spells.

Even now, the pigtailed girl was trying to focus past the pain that was unfurling over her brain. The feeling like static within her own mind. A feeling that persisted for the better part of an hour, leaving her plenty of time to catch up on what amount of education their teacher had actually gotten around to doling out that day.

Still, Hikari was nothing short of relieved when the bell once again rang, this time signaling that it was time for lunch. Her head gave one final lurch as the other students left the class, leaving the pigtailed girl to muster up the needed strength to do so herself.

Groaning somewhat as she placed her head to her temple, Hikiari closed her eyes in concentration, shutting away the pain before looking up. Then her mouth popped open as she saw Asuka hovering above her, genuine concern abounding her face.

"Hikari?" Asuka started, leaning in a bit closer. "Is something wrong?"

"Huh?" Hikari got out. Trying to find something intelligent to say and ultimately going for a load of bull that she hoped the redhead would buy. "Oh, it's nothing, Asuka. Just a slight headache."

Unsurprisingly, their one and only college graduate didn't buy it. She just stood straight and placed her hands on her hips, staring down at the girl like she was some sort of bug. "A slight headache?" Asuka asked incredulously. "And I suppose that's why you've barely moved or said anything the entire time?"

"It's not like anything actually happened…" Hikari returned anemically.

"Nothing happened?" Asuka repeated with a raised eyebrow. "Kazu shot Himori with a spit ball, and you didn't even notice! And you're going to tell me that's because of a slight headache?"

Her mouth falling open, Hikari sat there and looked at her German friend. Kazu was the class's resident jerk, even more so than Toji and Kensuke. He got the worst grades of anyone there, mainly because he spent all of his time at school coming up with some new prank to unleash upon his fellows.

And he actually gotten away with hitting Himori with a spit ball on Hikari's watch? That she was so out of it that she hadn't even noticed Kazu's antics?

Clearly, reality as she knew it had come to an end.

As a defeated groan escaped Hikari's lips, she sank back in her chair while Asuka towered over her victoriously. "Now, are you going to tell me what's wrong with you, or am I going to have to squeeze it out of you?"

Sighing wearily, Hikari brought up her hands in surrender. "Alright, you win, Asuka," the pigtailed girl replied. "But…not here. Okay?" When the German frowned in confusion, Hikari went on. "Can we…meet someplace later today?"

"Sure," Asuka nodded agreeably. Then she quirked a smile. "How about we meet at the ice cream parlor at the mall? You look like you could use a treat, and I've been dying to check out that new store there!"

Managing a weak smile, Hikari found herself instantly agreeing. The mall. The perfect place for her to relax, forget her woes and responsibilities for a while, and unload her troubles. Just what the doctor ordered.

--------------------------------------------

"Ugh…" Hikari grimaced. Pressing both hands upon her temples, as if she were trying to squeeze the pain out of her own head.

"I don't believe this! Hikari, you're looking sicker by the minute!" Asuka gaped in disbelief. Seated next to her friend, the redhead's blue eyes bulged out of their sockets, filling with distress over her condition.

"Believe me, I'm not feeling too great, either," Hikari admitted. Only to wince in pain as another painful barb stabbed at her brain.

Coming to the mall had not been a good idea. If anything, it was probably the worst idea in the long and sad history of bad ideas. A few seconds after entering the front door, Hikari had practically fallen on her face. For several seconds, the entire world had spun about her, rendering her unable to tell up from down. And even that was nothing compared to the throbbing headache that had come after the vertigo had passed.

After this attack, Hikari had been sorely tempted to just go home and forget about everything. To admit that she was truly sick and hide in her bed. Let someone else shoulder the burdens of life for a while. With only the fact that a good friend and possible outlet for her woes was waiting for her arrival.

As if she were reading her mind, Asuka spoke gingerly. "Listen, if you're feeling that bad, then just go home and get to bed already!" the German told her. Then with a wry curling of her lip, she added, "Besides, it's not like there's much here. Just a bunch of uninspired Japanese fashions."

"You have no idea how tempting that is," Hikari returned, somehow managing to raise her head enough to meet her friend's gaze. "But…"

"But what?" Asuka asked, growing more confused. "C'mon! What's the big deal?! Just go to bed, order out for some pizza, and play some video games until you're feeling better! What could be simpler?"

Stifling the urge to laugh, Hikari wondered how she could explain it to her friend. That life hadn't been that simple for her since her mother's death. How everything in her family had completely fallen apart until Hikari had mastered the duties her mother had performed so well. Then she smiled, and decided to put it as simply as she could. "Because the last time I tried that, I spent half the time with my sisters in my room, wondering how to run the vacuum or set the table. And Daddy burned every meal he tried to make." Then she somehow managed to snort out a bit of laughter. "In fact…I think he even managed to set fire to the water when he tried boiling rice."

Wincing at the image, Asuka replied, "Ouch. Sounds like he took cooking lessons from Misato!"

"I'm sorry, Asuka. But to sometimes, I think my entire house would fall apart without me," Hikari confessed, letting slip a bit of the weariness she felt from shouldering such burdens. Then she raised an eyebrow at her dear friend. "Besides, it's not like the Angels would give you time off if you got sick!"

"True," Asuka admitted, her usual bravado coming to the surface. Then she leaned towards her friend in a conspiratorial fashion. "But the Angels don't show up every day, asking me to make them dinner!"

Unable to help herself, Hikari laughed at her friend's glib comment. "Well, you've got me there," she admitted. "Still, I don't want Daddy to worry. I mean…ever since Mom died, he…" Fumbling, Hikari found her gaze drawn to the smudged counter, at the memories that seemed to be reflected in its surface. "Every time one of us get sick, or gets hurt, or anything like that…it's like he's watching Mom die all over again. And I…I don't want to make things worse for him. That's all."

Giving her friend a lopsided look, Asuka finally shook her head. "You're a lot nicer than I'd be, Hikari," she finally admitted. Shrugging, the German said, "Still, since we're here, why don't we have a parfait or two? Before you go back to the rat race?"

"That sounds good to me," Hikari agreed. "And don't worry. I promise I'll take it easy when I get back."

"Promise?" Asuka insisted with a girlish grin.

"I'll even have Kodama order out, and go to bed early," Hikari vowed earnestly. Something that earned a laugh from the German as well.

"But before you go…hey, waiter! Two chocolate parfaits!" Asuka called out, invoking her own voice of authority.

"Coming right up!" the waiter replied jovially.

Watching as he went to work, Hikarii found herself grateful that she had decided to meet Asuka after all. In the German, she had found a true kindred spirit. Someone who had needed to be strong for the sake of others, who shouldered a monstrous responsibility of her own, and didn't mind asserting her authority when the need arose.

Her pain receding somewhat, Hikari found herself actually able to relax. The two girls engaged in idle chatter while they waited, discussing the various going-ons in their lives, the latest gossip. Simple, meaningless things that meant everything at the moment. Until finally the waiter arrived with their sweat treats.

"Here you go, ladies!" he beamed, setting down their parfaits.

"Great!" Asuka replied as Hikari stared at her chocolaty treat. The rich, divinely sweet aroma wafting up her nose, forcing her to gulp down. Lest a wave of drool come pouring out of her mouth.

_Great. Now I'm Pavlov's dog, _Hikari thought ruefully as she picked up her spoon. She usually didn't indulge in sweets. At least not excessively. She already knew that her figure was far from the most eye-catching, especially when compared to those of Asuka's or Rei Ayanami's. The last thing she wanted was to add a wider waist to her list of physical inadequacies.

Still, the idea of drowning her woes in chocolate was an enticing one, and after everything that had been happening lately, Hikari felt that she deserved a treat. Especially since her own body was already screaming for ice cream.

_My figure is gonna hate me for this, _Hikari decided as she spooned up a decent-sized portion of fruit, chocolate, and ice cream. Gingerly placing it her mouth, she felt a sublime chill run through her as the flavorful delight melted on her tongue. And sent her mind clear into orbit.

Automatically swallowing, Hikari quickly licked her lips before gazing down at her treat. The pain completely gone, as was every conscious thought that might have occupied her mind. All that she really cared about was the delightfully gooey mass before her. Driving her spoon in as deeply as she could, the pigtailed girl lifted up a huge blob of pure goodness and ate it. And another. And then another.

"Whoa!" Asuka gasped out as her friend went into overdrive, hastily devouring the entirety of her parfait. "What'd you do, skip breakfast _and _lunch?!"

The German's words acting like a bucket of ice water, Hikari somehow managed to snap herself out of her binge. Only to realize that a couple of the other patrons were looking at her, her parfait was all but gone, with a good deal of it currently adorning her face.

And making matters even worse was the fact that she wanted more. She wanted more _very _badly.

Swallowing loudly, Hikari gave her friend a sheepish look. "Um…" the pigtailed girl got out, struggling to find a graceful way out of her predicament. Finally, the girl stood from her seat, looking at her disbelieving friend. "Something like that, yeah." Her cheeks burning with humiliation, Hikari tried to think of something else to say. "I'll…go wash up, okay. Oh, and Asuka?"

"Yeah?" Asuka got out, still staggered with disbelief.

"Could you…order me another one?" Hikari asked almost desperately. Taking off before her friend could even respond.

Hurriedly making her way to the ladies' room, Hikari went right to one of the sinks and spun both knobs about, sending warm water pouring forth. Collecting it in her hands, the pigtailed girl splashed it in her face. Washing away the sticky mess that covered her mouth, she then flung more water in her face. Hoping to stir a greater level of rationality into existence.

_What's happening to me? _Hikari wondered as she cut off the water. Staring hard at the girl in the mirror, she turned her head about so that she could examine herself from different angles. And found the Hikari Horaki she was used to looking back at her. A little tired, a little worn around the edges, but still the same Hikari.

_It must be some kind of sugar imbalance or something, _Hikari promptly decided. _Yeah, that must be it. I've been going crazy with these headaches, and I haven't been eating properly…or maybe that smoke just…threw my body off. And I just need something sweet to get back on track._

The more Hikari reviewed this possibility, the more sense it made sense to her. After all, she didn't feel sick most of the time, and…well, it just made sense. Especially given the fact that she didn't have any other explanation.

The fact that it made a great excuse to scarf down another parfait didn't exactly hurt, either. Her mouth watering once more at the prospect of further sweets.

Taking a deep breath, Hikari gave one more glance at herself. Saw the confident, take-charge girl she projected herself as, and gave a slight noise of approval. Taking a moment to dry off her face, Hikari exited the ladies' room, not wanting to give her friend cause to worry.

----------------------------------------------------------

"Whew. I never you were such a big eater!" Asuka commented. The redhead gazed incredulously at Hikari as the two girls left the mall.

"Neither did I," Hikari confessed ruefully. Rubbing her stomach in an embarrassed fashion. Having required three parfaits before she finally felt sated enough to be truly willing to leave the ice cream parlor. "I'm still not sure where I put it all!"

"Yeah, well," Asuka started, seeming unsure of what to say. "Just don't make a habit of it, that's all!"

"Believe me, I have no intention of blimping out!" Hikari returned jovially. Grimacing at the very thought of what all those calories were doing to her at that very moment. Banishing the horrid image from her mind, the pigtailed girl returned her attention to her friend. "Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Sure! Just be to take care of yourself," the redhead advised. Then Asuka gave her a rueful look. "Trust me, nobody's gonna do it for you!"

"Yeah…I guess not," Hikari returned. Once again thinking of the heavy burdens that were hers alone. And would seemingly remain so.

On that note, the two friends exchanged goodbyes, and began making their way back to their respective homes. Leaving Hikari with her own thoughts and concerns.

_Yeah, I guess she has a point. Nobody else at home can do what I do, _Hikari thought unhappily. The burdens she carried once again returning to her. Then she gave a thought to fears and concerns her sisters and father clearly felt for her. _Still…at I know that they care. That they're still my family._

This matter settled within her once more, Hikari continued onward, the sun setting beneath the horizon. The streets all but empty, another sign of the depopulated fortress city. The emptiness lending greater speed to the girl's feet.

Eventually, Hikari came within sight of her home, feeling a swell of relief that home naturally offered. Once again picking up her pace, she soon arrived at the front door and entered. Taking a deep breath of the distinctively familiar scents that abounded in that place, the girl looked about before calling out, "I'm home!"

"Sister!" came the rambunctious voice of Nozomi. The little girl soon followed, bouncing into the living room and practically bowling over the object of her glee. As it was, Hikari was forced a step backwards, but she quickly recovered. Laughing quietly, Hikari knelt down and looked the girl squarely in the face, smiling at her brilliantly before hugging her fiercely.

"Hey there, Hikari," came another voice. As the two girls stood and looked, they saw Kodama approach, a weary smile on her face. "Did you have a good time with Asuka?"

"Yes, I did," Hikari answered with wry amusement. "Is Daddy back yet?"

"No. He called to say he'd be late," Kodama replied. "His tech team has gotten new orders. Some new development project."

Exhaling wearily, Hikari shook her head. "Look, could you do me a favor and just order out for dinner?" the pigtailed girl requested. "I'm a bit tired, and…"

"Not a problem!" Kodama assured her. Seemingly relieved at her sister's decision not to cook. "Actually, I was kind of in the mood for pizza, and…"

"Pizza?" Nozomi got out excitedly.

"Yeah, sure!" Kodama returned agreeably. "I have a coupon for a Veggie Special from Nuclear Pizza, and -!"

"Ugh!" Nozomi grimaced, delight shifting to horror. While Hikari's heart was sinking straight into her toes, the younger girl shot a disgusted look at the eldest sister. "A veggie pizza _again?! _That's what we had the last time we ordered out!"

"And what's so wrong with that?" Kodama retorted. "In case you've forgotten, vegetables are good for you!"

"So's a bar of soap, and I don't' wanna eat that, either!" Nozomi sniped. Then the inevitable happened. The little girl looked at Hikari, and asked, "C'mon, sister! Let's have something good to eat instead!"

"Hey! There is absolutely nothing wrong with vegetarian food! And you probably need to eat more greens, anyway!" Kodama countered. Then she turned to affirmation from her sister. "Don't you think so?"

Closing her eyes as her head once again began to hurt, the pain the familiar one of stress, rather than her dizzy spells, Hikari then eyed her sisters. "Tell you what," the pigtailed girl stated, invoking her voice of authority. Wanting nothing more than to put an end to the argument. "I'll make the order, and you two can let me know when it gets here. How's that sound?"

For a moment, the two sisters looked ready to further argue their cases. That was before Hikari hit them with the stare of doom, causing them to think better of it. Before either of them could speak, Hikari went to the kitchen. Making use of a menu stuck to the refrigerator, she ordered a pizza with a satisfactory mix of meat and vegetables. Suffering a stab of guilt, she added a chocolate dessert pizza to the order.

Sighing wearily as she hung up the phone, Hikari made her back to the living room. Gratefully sitting down in front of the television, she picked up the TV Guide and started looking for something nice and funny to relax to.

"So…how are you doing?" As Hikari jumped at these words, she looked over her shoulder to see Kodama standing above her.

"Well, I'm a bit tired, but…" Hikari answered. Deciding it best to leave the rest unsaid and open to interpretation.

"Yeah, I bet," Kodama nodded before sitting down next to her sister. "It must be tough, having to put up with us."

"Oh, I don't mind," Hikari answered. Then she cracked a weary smile. "Besides, I've long since figured out that it's basically impossible to get you two to agree on anything. Why should pizza toppings be an exception?"

"Still…" Kodama spoke, traces of guilt in her eyes. Guilt that her younger sister now performed the duties that had once been assumed would fall to her. Taking a moment to consider her words, the eldest sister said, "Anyway, I'm glad you decided to take it easy tonight. I mean…I know don't say it enough, but…I do worry about you, Hikari."

"Yeah, I know," the middle sister responded. Giving Kodama a wry look, she added, "And I guess this where you remind me that I should worry about myself more often?"

"Something like that," Kodama agreed. "Don't get me wrong. I really appreciate what you're doing. Especially with sensei involved, but…" Silence followed the eldest sister's words. A silence that was filled with pain and loss that would never fully heal or be forgotten. "I don't want you getting hurt, either."

"Thanks," Hikari returned. "And trust me. As soon as we're done with dinner, it's straight to bed for me!"

"Good idea," Kodama declared. "No offense, but…you're looking a little green around the gills."

"Really?" Hikari wondered. When Kodama nodded her confirmation, the younger girl sat back in thought. _I _knew _having all that chocolate was a mistake._

-------------------------------------------------------------

When the next morning came, heralded by the unwelcome sound of the alarm clock rattling the Horaki household out of the warmth of their collective beds, Hikari awoke very easily. Slowly stretching out her entire body, the girl looked up at the ceiling and released a contented sigh.

_Whew…that feels good… _Hikari thought, feeling oddly relaxed and contented as she propped herself up. A tiny chuckle escaped her lips as she tossed aside her blanket and got to her feet. Her entire body free of even minor discomfort as she moved about.

Feeling herself feeling more awake and energized with each passing moment, Hikari exited her room. Already considering what to make for breakfast, the young matriarch set about the standard morning routine. With making sure that the others were awake being the first thing on her agenda.

Knowing that Nozomi would be by far the most reluctant to get up, Hikari started at her room. Sliding the door open, she took in the room. As was usual, various odds and ends littered the bedroom floor, the youngest sister lacking the patience required to pick up after herself unless sufficiently prompted. And at the center of it all was futon, where Nozomi lay curled up into a ball, with her blanket wrapped about her entire body.

"Nozomi! It's time to get up!" Hikari announced from the doorway. Hoping that her sister would make it easy on her, but doubting it all the same.

As was expected, the little girl's response was a reluctant groan. "Oh…just five more minutes…"

"I'm afraid not, Nozomi," Hikari replied, knowing full well what she was dealing with. Like many girls her age, Nozomi seemed to have no setting between off and overdrive. When she was awake, she flew about like a human hummingbird. But she was off, she was about as easy to rouse as a slab of granite.

Smiling as she carefully stepped around the stuffed toys and dirty clothes, Hikari bent down beside the girl's bed. "Come on! I don't have time for this, the pigtailed girl informed Nozomi as she pulled the blanket away. "I still have to make breakfast, remember?"

Groaning like a zombie, Nozomi grumpily straightened herself out. "I know, sister, but…" the little girl grumbled as she rubbed her eyes. Sitting up in her bed, she sleepily looked at her sibling, only to freeze like a statue.

"Nozomi?" Hikari wondered. Her confusion mounting as the girl's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. "What is it?"

"Sister!" Nozomi gasped out. Raising a hand to point at her, her entire body shaking badly. "Y-your skin! Your _hair!"_

Her mind completely swallowed by confusion, Hikari automatically raised her hands to look at them. Only to have her confusion be replaced for shock and terror at the sight of her own body. The familiar flesh tones of her body replaced by a bright, lustrous green. Even the bone structure and musculature seemed different, more pronounced.

Staring helplessly at her own body transformed, Hikari's mind completely froze, unable to comprehend what she was seeing. Reacting fearfully, the girl took several steps back, as if trying to escape from her own body. Only to gasp fearfully as her foot caught on some obstruction, leaving the girl to stumble backwards.

"_Sister!" _Nozomi shrieked as Hikari spun her arms about as she totter backwards. Instinctively tensing, Hikari gasped as the room was blurred by her fall. A tingling sensation rushing through her entire body, Hikari was then plunged into darkness, only to be surrounded by light once again before finally impacting upon the floor.

Her heart pounding in her chest, Hikari instantly tried to regain herself, to get to her feet. To gain some measure of control over what was happening. To try and reassure Nozomi and herself…that everything was alright.

"Nozomi?" Hikari managed to squeak out, looking over in the direction she had last seen the girl. Only to gape when she saw no sign of the girl. Or her bed. Or even the room she had been in.

Words failing her completely, Hikari looked wildly about, trying to make sense of what was happening. Only to find herself in the kitchen. Having somehow fallen through solid wood and metal like it was air to land on the tile surface.

A strangled gasp was the only thing Hikari could force through her vocal cords. Her mind screaming in terror at the madness that had ensnared her…

-------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Notes: I know, not a lot happening in this chapter, but I really couldn't see a way of throwing Hikari into action without blowing her secret or completely messing her up even more than she already is. Still, I hope you'll read and review, anyway. And maybe check out my other stories while you're at it?

Now, since most of you have already guessed who Hikari is going to be becoming, and since I've dumped even more major hints in this chapter, I guess I might as well confirm that she's the SOE2 version of the Martian Manhunter.

As for why I chose those powers, I have several reasons. The first of them has to do with something I've learned over the years, and has become especially clear since I landed on DeviantArt. Namely, that there's just something about green women.

Also, Mike313, your choice of Asuka's powers actually helped my decision in this regard. Asuka and Hikari have always struck me as being two peas in a pod, so to speak, except that Hikari is nowhere near as bitchy, and is a good deal more subtle than the redhead. So making Hikari an alien as well really seemed to work.

Also, I remember seeing this pic with Asuka and Hikari back to back, looking warningly at the viewer. Now, imagine that same pic, but with the both of them in their superwomen forms?

Plus, I do see a lot of humor potential here with those powers. Especially with Hikari's home and school life! With a craving for chocolate as just the tip of the iceberg!

There is one more thing. I'm not going to doing as much fussing with chapters for a while, since I've been having a problem with uploading them as of late. I don't know why, but for some reasons, certain words in my documents keep getting eaten no matter what I do to stop it!


	3. It's Not Easy Being Green

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to DC Comics or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Chapter 3: It's Not Easy Being Green

"Kodama! Kodama, _wake up!!"_

Groaning as the piercing voice shredded the veil of sleep that held her captive, Kodama blearily rolled about in her bead before finally sitting up. "Huh…?" the eldest Horaki sister got out as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. As her brain slowly revved up, she became more and more aware of her situation. And of the fact that Nozomi was practically sitting on top of her, tugging frantically at her sleep shirt. "Nozomi…what the…?!"

"C'mon, hurry up!" Nozomi insisted, tugging at Kodama that much fiercely. "It's sister! She's turned all green and fell through the floor and -!"

"What?" Kodama groaned, her sleep-addled mind taking several extra seconds to process her sister's words, making absolutely certain that she had heard correctly. Then she shook her head wearily before saying, "Aw, Nozomi, you just had a bad dream. Now go back to -!"

"No, I _didn't _dream it!" Nozomi countered, almost screaming right in Kodama's face. "And don't go back to sleep! That's what Daddy did when I tried to tell _him!"_

_I don't believe this…_ Kodama groaned wearily, sorely tempted to just pulled the sheets over her head and hope Nozomi turned out to be a nightmare herself. _And of course this happens on a day when I have to take an exam and two lectures to deal with, too…_

Though she was still not functioning on too many thrusters just yet, Kodama quickly realized two things. One was that she would not be able to get any additional sleep until Nozomi decided to leave her alone. And the second was that Nozomi was not going to leave her alone until she was satisfied that she had just had a bad dream.

So with the possibility of least a couple minutes more rest in her mind, Kodama blearily shook her head and grumbled, "Alright, alright, fine. Just…get off of me already, okay?"

Nozomi responded by tumbling off of her sister, but remained close enough to lend a helping hand in aiding Kodama to her feet. To which the eldest Horaki sister responded by issuing a series of completely unintelligible cursed and oaths. Things which grew even more pronounced as Nozomi practically dragged her out the door, and her eyes were hit by the greater levels of light.

"I don't believe this. Nozomi…!" Kodama grumbled as the younger girl continued to tug at her relentlessly. "Look, people don't just fall through _floors!_ Seriously, I -!"

"But I saw it!" Nozomi protested earnestly. "C'mon! We have to do something!"

"Aw, gimme a break!" Kodama protested, the idea of just going back to her room and barring the door shut becoming an attractive one for her. "I'm sure Hikari is just fine! She probably…just…wasn't…" As the eldest Horaki sister trailed off, her voice cutting itself off in a horrified squeak, she then wondered if by any chance she might still be in bed. For the idea of that she was having some kind of night mare was certainly a far more attractive one that what she was seeing.

The Horaki residence was a two story house, with the living room situated just below the bedrooms for the girls. So it was very easy for someone to look down from the second floor and see everything that was happening in the living room, and even some of the kitchen. Which was why Kodama could see every detail of Hikari as she staggered out of the kitchen, though she definitely wished she couldn't.

Every square centimeter of Hikari's body was trembling with terror, the younger girls holding up her own hands and staring at them like she didn't even recognize her own body. And given the extent of the changes to her form, this was not surprising.

The very first thing Kodama noticed as that Hikari was now completely naked, which made it very easy for her to take in every single change to her form. Hikari's skin was now colored a bright, lustrous shade of green, and her hair was a brilliant red that even outshone her friend Asuka's. Her musculature seemed more pronounced, and when the girl looked up towards her sisters, they could see that her pupils had changed to a frightful red.

"K-kodama…Nozomi…" Hikari somehow rasped out, stumbling forward even as she looked upwards. Before either sister could even think of saying or doing something, their afflicted sibling tripped upon one of the chairs below. Waving her arms frantically, Hikari was unable to recover her balance, and fell down upon a small table there. Her body somehow melting through the table and leaving it unscathed as before she stopped at the floor.

"Omigod!!" Kodama rasped out beneath her breath, catapulting herself towards the stairs. Marginally aware of Nozomi following close behind, the eldest sister soon arrived at Hikari's side. Shoving the table aside, she gasped as Hikari shifted about to face her, half of her body somehow immersed in the floor. "Hikari?!"

"Kodama…what's happening…I…?!" Hikari squeaked out, utterly petrified.

It was this fear that really drove home just how serious things were. Ever since they had lost their mother, Hikari had taken control in every situation to confront the Horaki family, facing every situation with an air of command and not so much of a whiff of fear. And now she was lying on the floor, naked in a body that wasn't her own, pert of her mutated flesh protruding into solid matter, and out of her mind with fear.

Too out of it to do anything but act on pure instinct, Kodama quickly lifted Hikari to her feet, pulling her out of the floor in process. "Sister!" Nozomi squeaked out, shifting about on her feet as if she were unsure if she should even touch the transformed girl.

"Hikari…" Kodama gasped, shaking her head in denial of the very reality before her. "What…happened?"

It was then that some of Hikari's terror subsided, and a look of extreme annoyance replaced it. "What…how should _I _know what's going on?!"

Her mouth opening and closing rapidly, Kodama struggled to get control of herself. To calm and down and find some way to take charge of the situation before it got worse. Unfortunately, she wasn't quite fast enough.

"Hey, what's with all the noise, girls?" came the sleepy, good-natured voice of Tanaka Horaki. A voice that was muffled by several walls and perhaps a door or two, but at the same time signaling that another complication had just arisen.

The three Horaki girls looked wildly amongst themselves, as if asking each other if one of them had some brilliant idea on how to deal with this. Then Kodama and Nozomi focused exclusively on the nude, Technicolor green creature that Hikari had become, and the eldest sister's overloaded brain was suddenly forced into overdrive by the need of the situation alone. And in that instant, she could only think of one thing. Just one thing.

"Hide!" Kodama rasped out, taking hold of Hikari's shoulders. Ignoring the strangled gasp that escaped her sister's lips, the eldest Horaki girl starting pushing her towards the stairs. She wasn't even certain exactly why she was choosing this course of action. All she really could think of was that they couldn't let their father see Hikari like that.

For that matter, Kodama herself deeply didn't want to see her own like that, either. Which was why she gave no heed to Hikari's malformed noises of protest as she shoved the girl into her room.

"Hikari, listen to me, you have to be quiet!" Kodama told her as she spun her sister about in her arms. As soon as Hikari's fearful red eyes met Kodama's own, the eldest sister almost fainted on the spot. "Look…just stay in your bed and hide, okay?! I'll…I – I'll think of something, okay?!"

Not giving Hikari a chance to protest, Kodama backed out of her room and slammed the door closed. Then she whipped about and crashed against the wall, her legs suddenly too rubbery to support her own weight. Her heart pounding faster than it had in her entire life, and her mind overloaded with a thousand different questions that she didn't have to luxury to try and answer.

_Okay, focus! What do we do now?! _Kodama demanded of herself, bringing her hands to her head as she tried to squeeze at least one decent plan out of her brain.

"Kodama…" Nozomi whispered. The sound of her voice practically sending Kodama jumping of her skin, and right through the roof. Looking sharply down, she spotted the youngest sister looking expectantly at her. Waiting for her to tell her what to do.

_But how should I know?! I can't handle this sort of thing! I just live here!!_ Kodama shrieked within her own mind, suddenly feeling faint. Then she realized she had stopped breathing a short while ago. Forcing her lungs to start working again, and then taking a moment to make sure her heart hadn't stopped as well, she held up her hands at Nozomi. Silently pleading for her to give her a moment's peace.

Nozomi ignored her sister's entreaty, and instead asked, "What do we do?!"

"Uh…um…!" Kodama babbled out, for the simple fact was that she was completely without a clue. A complex mathematical formula, a chemistry equation, or rigging up laboratory equipment for a day's worth of experimentation, these things were nothing to her mind. But minor household crises were simply beyond Kodama's ability to deal with. And Hikari suddenly turning green probably qualified as more than a minor crisis.

Not even giving herself the opportunity to start panicking about how in blazes _that _happened, Kodama struggled for a solution. Her struggles not helped by her father suddenly marching into view, wearing a rumpled NERV uniform. "Hey, girls!" Tanaka Horaki called out, sounding harried and hurried, as was usual in the morning.

"Hi, Dad!" Kodama squeaked out. Sounding much like a leaky balloon to her own ears.

"Hey, Daddy!" Nozomi spoke, sounding even worse.

"And how are my darlings today, huh?" Tanaka cooed as he walked up to the sisters, giving them each a gentle hug in turn.

"Uh…we're fine!" Kodama somehow managed to get out. Wracking her brain for something to say, she finally spat out, "So, uh…did you sleep well?"

While Kodama was kicking herself for issuing such inanity, Tanaka snorted casually before saying, "Okay, I guess." Then he leaned back and studied his daughter before smiling goofily. "Although, I have to say, I had the strangest dream last night." Pausing as she studied the sisters, Tanaka finally knelt down and looked his youngest in the face. "I dreamt that Nozomi here came running into my room, saying that Hikari was actually a Martian!"

"A…Martian?" Kodama somehow managed to say, while the little girl grinned in pure terror.

"Well…she said she had turned into a green alien. What else could it be than a little girl from Mars?" Tanaka laughed jovially. Completely unaware that Nozomi looked like she was about to have a heart attack, and Kodama was seriously considering joining her.

"O-kaaay…" Kodama got out. "I…guess that makes sense."

"Anyway, speaking of Hikari, I better go apologize for missing out on another of her breakfasts," Tanaka commented glumly. "Chief Hoshi has got some special project for my team to work on."

"Really?" Nozomi asked, not moving a single muscle.

"That's right! You…mentioned that, didn't you?" Kodama asked, thinking of the condition their bedraggled father had come home in the previous night. Of the brief conversation they had had before he had excused himself and gone to bed. "Some new developments over at NERV, right?"

"You got it. We're looking at a lot of late nights here," Tanaka agreed, sighing at the thought of the task set out before him. Then smiled once again before adding, "I just have enough time to grab some toast and get a whiff of whatever Hikari's making before I…"

"Dad?" Kodama asked, her heart sinking as she noticed confusion spreading across her father's face. "Is something wrong?"

"I…don't smell breakfast cooking," Tanaka commented oddly, as if he didn't believe what he was saying. Then he looked even more awake, alert, and concerned. "Come to think of it…where _is _Hikari?"

"Um, sister?" Nozomi squirmed helplessly. Feeling a shadow of doom falling upon them both, just as Kodama did. "Well, she…"

"She's…still in bed!" Kodama somehow managed to get out. Just before she mentally facepalmed herself. _Stupid! Why didn't you tell him that she'd already left?! _Then the eldest Horaki girl answered herself. _Because there's no way Hikari would take off without making breakfast, that's why! But – oh, crap! This means that -!_

"Still in bed? Why?" Tanaka demanded, his concern mounting as he gave greater thought to the situation. "Come to think of it, she _was_ looking a little green last night…"

"Uh, yeah!" Kodama agreed, not liking where this was going. "Anyway, uh…she just asked if she could…stay in today, and…"

"Hikari…asked to stay in from school?" Tanaka spoke, raising an eyebrow, resulting in a pained wince from his eldest daughter. Of all the things Hikari might be, a shirker of her responsibilities was not one of them. And if she actually requested that she not go to school…

"I better look in on her," Tanaka finally decided. Moving past his daughters, he slid Hikari's door wide open.

-------------------------------------------------------

_How's this even possible?! What's happening to me?!!?! _Hikari was busy screaming within her own mind.

Moments after Kodama has pushed her into her room, Hikari had once again looked down at herself, at a body that was clearly not her own. At the coiled muscles beneath her skin, the green flesh, and red hair. And as if these external changes weren't enough, she also felt changed inwardly, and not for the best.

When Hikari had found herself in the kitchen, an event she had no way of rationally explaining away, she had been forced to struggle to her feet. For her entire body felt heavy with weakness, her new muscles as weak as they looked strong. Her head hurt and swam with dizziness as she had walked out of the kitchen, dizziness that persisted and was even worse now.

So, unable to stay on her feet and unwilling to look at the freakish monstrosity that her body had become, Hikari had quickly tumbled into her futon and pulled the covers over her head. Hiding from the world and herself, trying to come to grasp with what had happened.

_How could this have happened?! People don't just change like this!!_ Hikari told herself, even as she squirmed about beneath her blanket. Sweat beading upon her form as the heat grew in the darkness she was hiding in. _And I'm getting a fever, too?! Am I coming down with something?!_

Ironically, Hikari actually found herself relaxing at this thought, ludicrous as it was. Diseases were relatively rational things in real life, and she had seen and had some pretty unpleasant ones during her young life. Chicken pox, the flu, and a few others with names she couldn't remember.

_So maybe this is a new one. Green-itis or whatever it's called, _Hikari told herself. Almost laughing at the thought of such a thing. _Sure. Swells the muscles, turns you green, and makes you dream of impossible things like falling through the floor. Everybody's heard about it except me. _Hikari almost felt like laughing at this. _Heck, who knows? If it's a brand new, maybe it'll be named after me. Maybe…Hikari's Green Fever. Guaranteed to kill you dead in three days or your money back._

Groaning as this bad joke knocked away some more of her strength and the heat simply got worse, Hikari finally poked her head out into the open. That was when she heard her sisters and father talking. Just outside of her room, by the sound of it.

"Still in bed? Why?" Tanaka asked. His voice both comforting and frightening at the same time.

_Dad! Daddy's outside! _Hikari thought incredulously. Hopeful and terrified at the same time, leaving her wanting to cry out for help, to be taken to a doctor or a hospital or someone who made everything okay again. To be held like a babe in arms, held and comforted and loved the way she had been before she had taken the role of matriarch for the Horaki family.

But there was something else. The idea of her father seeing her this way, perhaps interpreting her as a monster. The way people would look at her, and then there was the way she had simply fallen though the _floor, _and other fears all mounting up.

Overwhelmed by these things, Hikari fell into the classic fight-or-flight mindset, and did the only thing she could think of. She ducked back under her covers, and hoped like crazy that her father decided to go away.

However, judging from what she could hear from outside, this was not going to happen. Despite the blankets and all her terror, Hikari could hear the conversation going on outside. A conversation that ended with, "I better look in on her." Words that were followed by the sound of her door sliding open.

"Hikari?" Tanaka asked worriedly. "Are you awake?"

"Um…yeah…" Hikari croaked out, even as she tried to bury herself even deeper under her covers.

"Then…why are you hiding?" Tanaka asked suspiciously. When Hikari jerked nervously, he asked, "Come on, let me see you."

_Oh, no…_ Hikari thought fearfully. Already seeing her father passing out the instant he saw her as the hideous thing she had become. _Why is this happening to me?! I…it's not like I ever wanted to be a freak!! _

"Hikari…" Tanaka spoke again, his footsteps drawing closer.

_I never knew how good I had it, looking the way I did, _Hikari thought to herself. The image of herself as she had been appearing in her fragmented mind, and image she took hold of and held onto with all her strength. _So what if I don't have the kind of figure Asuka or Rei have? At least I looked human!_

"Hikari, come out of there," Tanaka told her, the way he spoke making it clear that this was not a request.

Shedding frightened tears and already anticipating the explosion that was to come, Hikari slowly, carefully poked her head out from under the covers. Her eyes squeezed shut as the air slid across her sweat soaked face, she waited for a scream, a gasp, even a thud of her father fainting down on the floor. She waited, and waited some more. Until her father finally said, "Well, you certainly look like you've got a touch of a bug, alright."

A beat passed before Hikari opened her eyes at her father. "Huh?" she asked, unable to believe that he hadn't at least screamed in horror.

"Aw, look at you. You're covered in sweat, too," Tanaka cooed gently, running his hand across her cheek. "Well, it sure looks like you've got a fever, alright."

"Uh…yeah…" Hikari murmured, goggle-eyed as she studied her father. Then she shifted her view to her sisters, who were standing just outside her door. They were staring at her, looking as astonished as she felt. Suddenly feeling out of the loop, Hikari just tried to go with it. "I'm…sorry about this, and…"

"What are you being sorry for?" Tanaka smiled reassuringly. "You're sick. It happens to all of us."

_Turning green happens to everyone? _Hikari thought questioningly. A raised eyebrow the only sign of surprise that made it to the surface.

"Well, it doesn't look too serious, but it'd probably be best if you took it easy for a day or two," Tanaka finally decided, furthering Hikari's befuddlement. Sighing unhappily, he added, "I wish I could stay in and look after you, but…"

"Uh, that's okay, Dad!" Kodama broke in, causing Tanaka to look up. "If you like, I could stay home for today, and keep an eye on her."

Momentarily relieved, Tanaka then frowned in concern. "Are you sure about that? I…I thought you had an exam coming up, and…"

"Hey, it's no problem. I'm sure Professor Hajime will let me make it up later," Kodama downplayed with a shrug. Then she added, "Besides, Hikari looks after us all the time. It's only fair that I help her out now."

His face wrinkled in thought, Tanaka eventually smiled. "Alright, Kodama. You win," he conceded. "But don't think you can make a habit out of this!"

"I understand," Kodama said agreeably. Even as she cast glances at Hikari.

"Can I stay and help sister as well?" Nozomi asked hopefully.

Snickering at this request, Tanaka shook his head before answering, "No, I'm sorry, Nozomi. It's bad enough your sisters are going to be missing school today. I can't have all three of you doing it!" While the youngest Horaki released a defeated groan, Tanaka stood up. "Well, I guess I better call your school and let them know you won't be in today," he told Hikari. "Kodama, I'm counting on you to see that Nozomi gets to school on time today. Alright?"

"Not a problem," Kodama replied casually. Still looking over at Hikari, even as Nozomi did the same.

"Okay, good," Tanaka said before leaving the room. Leaving all three Horaki sisters looking at each other in confusion, with Hikari certain she was the most baffled of them all.

Looking blankly at her sisters, Hikari slowly sat up in bed. "Uh…what just happened?"

"Hikari!" Kodama gasped out beneath her breath. The two of them rushing over to Hikari, with Kodama taking hold of her shoulders. "Look at you! You're back!"

"I'm…back?" Hikari repeated perplexedly. Then she slowly held up one of her hands…and once again gasped in surprise. For instead of the bright green it had been before, her skin was the normal tone of flesh she had worn most of her life. Unable to believe her own eyes, Hikari held up her other hand, and stared at it as well. Like its mate, it had also returned to normal.

Her heart pounding with delight and disbelief, Hikari lifted up her blanket and quickly scrutinized the rest of her form. And was flooded with relief that every body part, every square centimeter of skin, was the same proportion and color as they should have been.

As the tension fled her, Hikari felt even weaker, and collapsed back down upon her futon. Panting and closing her eyes as she relaxed. _I'm back…I'm back to normal…_ the girl thought. Relieved and suspicious at the same time, she once again brought her hands up and studied them. And saw nothing but the same hands that she had woke up with yesterday morning.

But at the same time, Hikari didn't feel the same as before. The weakness that had eating at her remained; in fact, she felt even more drained than she did earlier. Her stomach, her entire body was crying pitifully for nourishment.

"Sister…what happened to you?" Nozomi asked worriedly.

Shaking her head, Hikari replied, "I don't know, Nozomi. I just…don't know." Screwing her face miserably, she somehow lifted herself back up into a sitting position. "Ugh…and I feel like I'm starving to death here…"

Groaning at this, Kodama said, "We'll deal with that later. Right now, we've got bigger problems to worry about!" Bringing her hands to her head, the eldest sister gritted in exasperation. "Like…how'd this happen, anyway?! And what are we gonna do about it?!"

"How should I know?" Hikari asked wanly, her breathing coming with greater difficulty. "Kodama, please…I…"

"Sister…" Nozomi spoke sadly, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Blinking rapidly, Kodama frowned worriedly as she studied her ailing sibling. "Hey…you really are hungry, aren't you?" she realized, annoyance shifting to concern. As Hikari nodded feebly, the older sister frowned before assuring her, "Don't worry. As soon as Dad goes to work, we'll get you down to the kitchen, and you can eat whatever you like. Okay?"

"Okay," Hikari nodded, grateful for her sister taking charge. Then she grimaced as her stomach cried out, as her entire body's cries of starvation grew that much worse. "If I last that long…I…ugh…!"

The entire world seemed to shift before Hikari's eyes. A hideous wave of weakness surged through her body as she clutched at herself, and she could her sister's worried voices as her flesh seemed to ripple like water. Then the girl looked down at herself once again, and gasped as her body began to change. Her pinkish skin darkened into bright green, and her muscles once again expanded to their alien dimensions.

"Sister!" Nozomi piped up, grabbing hold of her arm. "What the why'd you -?!"

"I'm…I'm not sure!" Hikari panted out. Despite the confusion wracking her overloaded mind, the family matriarch quickly took stock. Oddly enough, she found that she was actually feeling a bit better now that she had reverted to this bizarre shape. Though the overwhelming hunger still shrieked, it was no longer quite as forceful. "It's like…I couldn't stay myself any longer…I…" Finally, Hikari threw up her arms in surrender before looking at Kodama. "Please, I…I need…"

"Okay, okay!" Kodama replied, holding up her hands. "I'll go down, and as soon as I make Dad's gone, I'll come back and get you, okay?" Hikari nodded shakily to this, at which point her sister fled her room. Leaving her alone with Nozomi, who was still looking at her curiously.

"Is…there anything I can do, sister?" Nozomi asked worriedly.

Heaving a deep sigh, Hikari sat there and considered the request. Then she looked down at her own body, and remembered the situation. "Um, well…" she started, frowning at the disturbing sight of her nude form. "Do you…know what happened to my pajamas?"

"You, uh…left them in my room," Nozomi answered. When Hikari frowned in response, the younger girl shrugged. "When you…fell through the floor, you…left them behind."

Nozomi's words triggering both memories and a reminder that things were a great deal more complicated than she'd like for them to be, Hikari groaned loudly before asking her, "Could you…please get them for me? Please?"

"Sure thing!" Nozomi replied, clearly pleased that she was now able to do something. Getting to her feet, the little girl departed, leaving Hikari to her thoughts.

_How is this even possible? How could this…have happened to me? _Hikari wondered, holding up her hands and staring at them. Wanting to think of anything other than the hunger that still rumbled through her entire body. _I mean, I know I've been feeling weird for a while, ever since…_

Before she could even finish this thought, Hikari's eyes shot wide with realization. _Omigod…the experiment in Professor Ousugi's lab…the alien cell samples!_ she thought, almost breaking down into a full-fledged panic as she remembered that day. Of how she had passed out after breathing a foul cloud filled with organic, _alien_ materials.

Part of her mind said that this was impossible. That this foul mist simply couldn't have had such a strong affect, couldn't transform her entire body so dramatically. To which another part of her asked if the first part had any better ideas.

While that first part of her mind was trying to rise to the challenge and think of something else, Nozomi arrived with Hikari's pajamas. "Here you go, sister," she said, handing the garments to her.

"Thanks, Nozomi," Hikari answered with as much of a grin as she could muster. Groaning as she shoved her blanket off, the pigtailed girl donned her sleepwear as quickly as her protesting muscles would allow her to. And hissing irritably as the garments persisted in hanging up on her body at every step.

"Ugh…what the…why don't these things fit anymore?!" Hikari wondered as she tried to shove her top in place, which was now oppressively tight.

"Uh, sister?" Nozomi began, trying very hard to keep an impish smirk off her face and not doing too good a job of it. "I think it's because you're, uh…bigger than you used to be."

At first, Nozomi's words didn't really register. But then, as Hikari studied herself, at the way her body bulged beneath her sleepwear, she began to realize just how much she had changed. Her body now rippled with coiled muscle, and felt especially tight about the buttocks and chest. Something that was driven home especially hard when Hikari pulled up her top just enough to get a really good look at how her breasts pushed up against her top.

"I see what you mean," Hikari grumbled out, falling back down upon her futon with a decided groan. Then she raised her hands up to her face, took in the green flesh covering them, and let one hand fall on her forehead.

_Oh, God. I knew that I'd grown, but…I didn't realize that I…_ Hikari thought wearily, unable to believe what was happening. Then her stomach gurgled unpleasantly, and her mind shifted priorities. _C'mon, Kodama! What's taking Daddy so long today, anyway?!_

Much to Hikari's dismay, thinking of her older sister didn't cause her to magically appear and tell her that the kitchen was clear and ready to raided. Leaving her alone with Nozomi, who tried to be comforting, and a hunger that was growing more insistent by the moment.

Finally, footsteps were heard pounding towards Hikari's room, just before the door slid open and Kodama stuck her head in. "The coast is clear," she told them, causing a gasp of relief to escape the green-skinned girl.

"Finally," Hikari gasped before she began struggling to her feet.

"Here you go, sister!" Nozomi came in as she moved to Hikari's side, getting beneath her arm. Kodama silently moved to the other side, and as one, they helped their sister get to her feet.

"Thanks, you two," Hikari gasped out, her legs a little too weak for her to trust them. Managing a weary smile, she added, "I'm…sorry about this, you two. I…"

"Hey, it's not your fault!" Nozomi protested.

"That's right. It's not like you expected this to happen," Kodama agreed tersely as they moved downstairs. As soon as they arrived at the kitchen, they aided the middle sister onto one of the chairs before moving to get some foodstuffs.

"Now, I'm pretty sure we still have some leftover pizza lying around," Kodama mused as she opened the refrigerator. Then she let out a triumphant sound before holding up the remnants from the last night's repast. "Here we go! Just take a few minutes to warm this up, and…"

"And here's something for while you're waiting!" Nozomi came from off to Hikari's side. Looking towards her sister, Hikari took a moment to focus on her…just before her eyes bulged at the sight of what was in her hands.

"Nozomi!" Kodama groaned in protest. "Are you kidding me?! Cookies?!"

"What's wrong with that?!" Nozomi wondered, even as Hikari was staring holes in the package the little girl held.

"What's wrong?!" Kodama argued incredulously. "Nozomi, we have no idea what's going on with Hikari, but whatever it is, I'm sure she doesn't need a load of junk food making it worse!" Then she frowned that much more deeply. "And where'd you get those Oreos, anyway?"

"Daddy picked them up last night after work, remember?" Nozomi told her. She then went on to say something else, but Hikari couldn't hear it. She couldn't see or hear or sense anything except for the package of sugary goodness right before her.

In that instant, the same need Hikari had felt overtake her at the mall last night seized hold of her again, only several times as intense. Driven by sheer need, Hikari let out a strangled gasp as she tore the package of cookies from Nozomi's hands, ripped it open, and took just a moment to take in the divine aroma of the bounty before her. With this being the final trigger needed to send her into overdrive.

Marginally aware of what she was doing, of the shocked gazes of her sisters, Hikari grabbed up several Oreos and stuffed them into her mouth. Chewing as fast as she could the pigtailed mutant reveled in the sensation of deliciously chocolaty disks sandwiching an ooey-gooey cream filling, and just before swallowing and grabbing up more.

"Hikari, stop that! You're going to make yourself sick!" Kodama protested, marching over towards her with the obvious intent of snatching the cookies away from her.

"_Mine!" _Hikari snarled, yanking the package up and away before Kodama even came close. Grabbing hold of another handful of cookies, Hikari forcefully stuffed them into her mouth, all the while glaring wrathfully at her sister, who was looking at the transformed girl in horror.

Hikari didn't care. All she cared about, all she _needed _at that moment, was to eat more. And she did. She ate until there was nothing left in the package but crumbs, and her face was smeared with chocolate and frosting.

"My God…Hikari…" Kodama gasped, even as Hikari slowly came out of the crazed state she had lost herself in.

"I…Kodama, I…" Hikari gasped out, even as she took stock. Though she still felt hungry, the horrible, incessant need was largely sated. Her mouth was dry, and she was still breathing hard, but she could feel her body recovering. Already, she was feeling stronger, better. New energy was flowing through her body, invigorating her.

"I…this is wrong," Kodama frowned, shaking her head despondently. "What were we even thinking?! We should have just told Dad about this!"

"What are you talking about, Kodama?!" Nozomi protested.

"What am I talking about?! Hikari's _sick, that's _what I'm talking about!" Kodama retorted. "Look at her! She's _green,_ for crying out loud!"

"But we can't take her to the hospital!" Nozomi countered. "I mean, what if they lock her away or -!"

"Doctors don't do that kind of thing! Honestly, Nozomi, you watch too many sci-fi anime!" Kodama argued.

"And what do you think a hospital will be able to do for Hikari, huh?!" Nozomi protested. "Take her temperature and give her some pills?!"

Puffing herself up, Kodama shot back, "Well, it's certainly a lot better than -!"

"Alright, you two, that's _enough!"_ Hikari finally broke in. Breathing heavily, she swung her gaze from one sister to the other, stunning them into submission with the force of her gaze alone. As soon as she was satisfied that they were suitably quelled, the pigtailed girl sucked in a deep breath as she prepared to speak again. To resume the role that she had taken up so long ago.

"Listen, Kodama, I…I'm sorry I went crazy just now," Hikari told her, speaking as clearly and lucidly as she could manage. Meeting the eldest sister's gaze, watching as her words and mannerisms sank in, Hikari reached for a napkin and began wiping off her mouth. Trying to present herself as being as close to the same Hikari she had been before as she could. "I…don't know how to explain it, but…"

"Hikari, please," Kodama returned, holding up her hands. "I'm blaming you for this, but you have to face facts! Something is _very _wrong with you! We have to get you to a doctor!"

"Kodama, just wait a minute," Hikari sighed, balling up her hands involuntarily as she gathered herself up. "First things first. Could you warm up that pizza and get me something drink? There's a lot we have to discuss, and I don't think we have a lot of time."

At first, Kodama looked sorely tempted to counter this. But Hikari just sat there, staring at her older sister, manifesting the force of will that was one of the reasons she was the reigning Horaki matriarch. Unsurprisingly, Kodama eventually sagged with incredibly bad grace. "You realize you're just going to make yourself sick by eating so much," the eldest sister sniped in defeat before moving to set the pizza in the microwave.

"Thanks," Hikari returned. As soon as Kodama set the leftovers in the microwave, Hikari gestured for her and Nozomi to join her at the table. "Now, I understand why you're worried, Kodama! And believe me, I'm not too happy about all this, either. But we can't afford to take me to the hospital."

"But why not?" Kodama wondered anxiously.

"Because I'm pretty sure we both know what caused all this," Hikari answered, gesturing at herself. "Wouldn't you agree?"

Exhaling deeply, Kodama once again collapsed beneath the weight of her sibling's words. While Nozomi just looked from one sister to the other before frowning her confusion. "What are you talking about, sister?"

"Professor Ousugi's experiment. Remember?" Hikari prompted the girl. "When that cell sample exploded, and I breathed in some of the gas?"

Nodding while making an affirmative noise in her throat, Nozomi then gasped in realization. "You mean…you think that's what did this to you?"

"I can't think of anything else that could have done this," Hikari explained with a weary sigh. "And as I recall, we were _both _exposed to that stuff."

This immediately got Kodama's attention. "You mean…this might happen to her as well?!"

"Really?" Nozomi squeaked out, sounding more intrigued than frightened.

"I doubt it," Hikari shook her head. "I mean, I've been feeling pretty off since we left the professor's lab, and I'm pretty sure if Nozomi was affected, we'd have seen some sign of it by now." Then, overlooking the vaguely disappointed look on her sister's face, Hikari persisted. "Besides, I covered up your face before I accidentally breathed in some of that stuff, so I'm pretty sure you're safe."

Not even noticing how disappointment was shifting to annoyance, Hikari returned her focus to Kodama. "Anyway, I think the only thing to do is to go back to the professor's lab, and…see if he can figure out what happened to me, and if there's any way of…undoing it."

Pressing her lips tightly together, Kodama then shook her head. "Hikari, I appreciate that you're trying to protect sensei, but this…this is going too far!" the eldest sister said straightly. "Really, the best thing to do right now is just get you to the hospital, and…"

"But we can't do that!" Nozomi protested. "What if the doctor's do experiments on her?! Or maybe even NERV?!"

This sentence resulted in Hikari blanking momentarily. "NERV?" she got out, even as Kodama frowned querulously.

Nodding fiercely, Nozomi added, "Remember those stories in the papers? About those superwomen that have been showing up lately? And how mad NERV was at them?"

A hiss of fear then escaped Hikari's lips, for she hadn't even considered that. For in truth, such women had quickly become late night conversation pieces at the Horaki household whenever their father was at home. In the past few months, several women wielding extraordinary powers had appeared. Some who were content just to fight crime, while others had gone off and had actually defeated some of the Angels threatening the world. And while the latter had earned a massive amount of animosity for NERV for making the multi-million yen Evas look colossally wasteful, their father's employers had made it clear that superpowered beings in general were not welcome in Tokyo-3.

Grimacing at this setback, Kodama then shook her head. "Nozomi, that's crazy! Hikari isn't like those people! She's not some superpowered entity! She's just…turned green, that's all."

"_And _she fell through the floor! _And _she changed shapes!" Nozomi corrected.

"She changed back to herself. That doesn't count!" Kodama argued.

"Maybe, but…we still don't know how much I've changed…or if I might keep changing," Hikari countered, already seeing a measure of sense to what Nozomi was saying. "And besides, our best chance at finding out what's happening to me is to look at the stuff that caused this."

"The cell samples in sensei's lab," Kodama conceded in bad grace. Then she shook her head and said, "Okay, Hikari, but I still think we should take you to the hospital."

"No. Not unless we can't find out anything from the professor," Hikari stated firmly. "I hate to sound paranoid, but I've heard some pretty unpleasant things about NERV when I've talked with Shinji at school. And I'm not sure they'd be willing to risk another superwoman showing and making their lives difficult." When Kodama looked ready to protest this, the young matriarch raised her hand in reassurance. "I promise, if he can't find out anything, we'll tell Daddy about what's been happening, and I'll go straight to the hospital. Fair enough?"

Making a sound in her throat that she wasn't truly satisfied with this arrangement, Kodama then looked at the dead-set expression Hikari wore on her green face. "Alright, fine," she finally grumbled, a metaphoric white flag flapping over her head. Then she mustered some resistance and added, "But if sensei can't find anything -!"

"I'll go to the hospital like a good girl," Hikari vowed, holding up her hand in emphasis. When a sliver of satisfaction appeared on Kodama's face, the green-skinned girl then frowned somewhat. "That's just leaves one problem. When can we get to the professor?"

"Why not right now?" Kodama wondered. When her sisters looked at her in shock, the eldest Horaki girl smiled knowingly. "Sensei doesn't have that many students, and I'm sure he wouldn't mind taking the day off for us."

Nodding as a snort of laughter escaped her, Hikari added, "Especially since it means he'll get the chance to look at a little green girl from Mars in the flesh."

"Or at least who's _partly _from Mars," Nozomi chimed in laughingly.

"True. Sensei would beat down an Angel for a chance like that. I don't think I'll have any problems getting him to help us out," Kodama smiled. "I better go call him, and let him know that we're on our way."

"Okay!" Nozomi grinned. "Besides, I'd like to see the professor, too!"

"Uh-uh, Nozomi! You're not coming with us!" Kodama protested, wagging her finger at the little girl. "You have school, remember?"

"Aw, but Kodama…!" Nozomi protested sulkily.

"No buts! Dad told me to get you to school," Kodama told her strictly. "In fact, as far as I'm concerned, that's the next order of business that I -!"

"Actually, I think it might be a good idea to take Nozomi with us," Hikari admitted slowly.

"Really?" Nozomi cried out in surprised delight.

"What?!" Kodama sputtered, stunned by this turnaround.

"We can't take any chances," Hikari explained. "All of us were in the lab when that thing went up, and Nozomi _was _exposed directly to it. And while I'm pretty sure that it didn't do anything to her, I'd rather not find out I was wrong the hard way."

Kodama was clearly unhappy with this decision. And even unhappier about the triumphant smirk Nozomi cast her way. Still, she couldn't argue against such logic, and instead made her way to the living room phone. Looking up as if asking 'why me?', she picked up the phone and cast an irritated glance at her sisters. "You know, I'm starting to think that junk has warped your mind, Hikari. You're siding with Nozomi _way _too much," she grumbled. "And what am I supposed to tell Dad? He told me to make sure that she got to school!"

"We'll just have to tell him she made a big fuss and you couldn't get her to go. I'm sure he'd buy it," Hikari shrugged. "We can even say that she started looking sick as well, so you took her to a doctor. I'm sure he'd love that."

"Yeah, maybe," Kodama frowned vigorously as she held up the receiver and started dialing. "Now, why don't you try thinking of something other than excuses, and try and come up with some way for us to smuggle a green girl across town and to my college?"

"That's no problem!" Nozomi smiled in delight. Casting a glance at her mutated sister, she said, "You changed back to yourself before, right? Why not again?"

"Uh, I'm not sure that would work," Hikari confessed ruefully, even as Kodama was heard speaking on the phone. When Nozomi expressed her confusion, she added, "I'm not even sure how I managed to do that. All I really did was…picture me as myself again, and…"

"Then why don't you try that again?" Nozomi wondered.

"There's...another thing," Hikari admitted. "When I changed back, I started feeling…drained. I mean, even worse than I did before." Then she frowned thoughtfully, and she mused, "Come to think of it…I was feeling pretty good this morning. Before I…"

"Before you crashed through the floor?" Nozomi asked, cocking her head in curiosity.

"Yeah," Hikari nodded. "After that, I felt…so drained, and out of it. That's why I…uh…" Trailing off, the green-skinned girl gestured towards the tattered Oreo package. Understanding lighting up Nozomi's face, Hikari went on. "And even if I do manage to change like before, I'm not sure I'd be able to hold it long enough for us to get to the university."

Frowning intently, Nozomi then asked, "Then…what are you going to do?"

Just as Hikari was opening her mouth to answer, Kodama placed the receiver back down. "I got a hold of sensei," she reported happily.

"Really?" Hikari smiled. Then she narrowed her eyes in concern. "What'd you tell him?"

"Well, I didn't tell him about what happened to you, Hikari. Not exactly," Kodama assured her. "I was worried he wouldn't believe me, and I heard some people talking in the background. I didn't want to take any chances," Satisfied by this, Hikari prompted her sister to continue. "Well, anyway, he's got a few classes to take care of this morning, but he said he'd be able to meet us in his lab at eleven-thirty this morning."

"Okay, that should work," Hikari nodded, examining the situation in her mind. "That gives us plenty of time to get me ready to go."

"Get you ready?" Kodama repeated blankly.

"Uh, yeah," Hikari gritted, not looking forward to this part at all. "Kodama…I'm gonna need your help with this…"

------------------------------------------------

"Ugh…I'm dying here…" Hikari moaned miserably. Practically feeling her entire body melting from the heat.

"Come on, sister! It's okay! We're almost there!" Nozomi told her, placing her hand on her sister's shoulder.

"Besides, you're the one who decided to bundle up like that," Kodama pointed out. "And besides, it's not like it's _that_ hot."

"Oh…that's easy for you to say," Hikari muttered miserably. Sorely tempted to mop her brow free of sweat, save for the fact that she was afraid of wiping off her own face.

It had seemed so simple, back in her house. Everything had come together so naturally as Hikari had explained her plan to her sisters. Hikari had first gathered up some loose clothes, things that would fit her transformed body, as well as cover as much of her form as was feasible. A selection that had included a sweatshirt with a hood, as well as some grey sweat pants that Kodama had long since outgrown, and while they weren't in the best condition, they would cover up a great deal of her green skin.

As for Hikari's face, Kodama had once again come to her rescue. With a judicious application of makeup, they had succeeded in blotting out the green skin with a more normal flesh tone. And while it wasn't a match for her original skin, and there was so much of it that anybody who go a good look at her would certainly raise an eyebrow or two at her, but hopefully she would avoid attracting too much attention. Added to this was a set of sunglasses to cover up her crimson eyes, and the disguise was complete.

Then, after all of this was done, Hikari had taken some time to look at herself in the mirror, carefully scrutinizing her disguise, and finally nodded at herself in satisfaction. Everything was as ready as was it going to be. So with a sense of hope and optimism, Hikari followed her sisters out the front door of their home. And very nearly retreated back into their home.

The very instant Hikari felt the sun's rays beating down upon her, she very nearly wilted from the heat. It was already seventy degrees out, something that was far from unusual in post-Impact Japan, and it would only get hotter. And she had been aware she'd be feeling the heat in her disguise, but she had honestly thought that she would be ready for it. Instead, Hikari had promptly started sweating, her disguise like an oven in the morning sun.

If these had been any other circumstances, Hikari would have gladly returned to the air-conditioned comfort of her home. If she had any faith in her ability to maintain her human guise for an extended period of time, she would have eagerly shed her disguise. And if she wasn't scared to death about her transformation, she would have happily forgotten about the entire thing.

As it was, the heat was just another incentive to get to the train station as quickly as possible. For the sooner she began this quest, the sooner she could return to somewhere blessed with air conditioning.

Unfortunately, that place wasn't the train that she and her sisters were currently riding on, or if it were, the cold air was insufficient to free Hikari of her misery. The car they were in was only marginally inhabited, and those who were there were dressed for the weather. And even they were none too comfortable in the stuffy train car, including Hikari's sisters. Sisters she would have gladly traded places with as her clothes became sodden with perspiration.

Groaning miserably, Hikari looked towards Kodama, wincing as her eye was stung by salt. "Kodama, how much longer until we get there?"

"About another ten minutes," Kodama replied after glancing at her watch. When Hikari groaned and leaned back against her seat, the eldest sister almost panicked. "And Hikari, be careful!" she whispered in a hushed tone. "Your makeup's starting to run!"

Grunting in pain and irritation, Hikari returned Kodama's warning look with one of boiling venom. "Kodama, please," she muttered dangerously. "This has _not _been a good day for me so far, and my boiling alive is not making it any better."

"Is it really that bad?" Nozomi wondered nervously.

"Bad doesn't even begin to describe it," Hikari told her, blinking away some of the sweat, only to have it replaced by more. "Oh, god, I'm burning up in this thing!"

"Hmm…sensei did say the cell samples appeared to be very sensitive to heat," Kodama admitted hesitantly.

"Well, guess what," Hikari groaned, half-expecting to catch fire at any moment. "He was right."

As if beginning to realize just how miserable her sister was, Kodama smiled sympathetically. "Just hang on for a little while longer," she pleaded. Then she checked her watch, and added, "I promise, as soon as we get there, we'll stop by that arcade we went to before."

"Huh?" Hikari murmured, her hopes rising, only to clash with her practical side. "Are you sure we'll have enough time? And what about…?"

Smiling as her sister gestured at herself, Kodama answered, "Relax, we'll have at least an hour to spare, and besides, right now, I'm more worried about you dying of heat stroke." When Hikari winced at this suggestion, one that seemed all too likely at that point, Kodama continued. "And it'll give you a chance to cool down a bit, and I can get you something to help you relax. Maybe with some ice cream, or some soda?"

Ice cream. The very moment Kodama mentioned this sweet treat, the image of a huge parfait appeared in Hikari's mind. One that was decorated with fruit, some Oreos, and was positively smothered in hot fudge.

Just thinking of the luscious taste of such a marvelous confection took away some of the heat and misery Hikari was enduring, and gave her a bit of a light at the end of her tunnel. Just enough to enable her to manage a weak smile before she said, "Kodama…I'm going to make you regret that offer…"

"I don't doubt it," Kodama replied dryly.

"Hey, don't forget about me!" Nozomi piped up. "I want some ice cream, too!"

This time, it was Hikari's turn to laugh. "I'm sure you do," she commented, this time unable to resist the urge to mop her brow. Doing her best not to disturb the already-deteriorating makeup, the disguised girl shook her head woefully. "I just hope we get there soon, or you two are gonna have to carry me out of here."

Kodama and Nozomi but tittered at Hikari's comment. Until they both realized that she was doing anything but joking.

The heat and misery persisted for the remainder of the train trip, and when they finally reached their stop, Hikari didn't need to be carried out, but she was more than happy to let her sisters pull her up out of her seat. "Ugh…thanks, you two," she commented as they aided her off the train. "I think all that sweat glued me to my seat."

"I believe it. You look terrible!" Kodama fretted, looking over her sister. Patting Hikari on the shoulder, she added, "Well, don't worry. We're just a few minutes away from the arcade. We'll be there before you know it."

Nodding fitfully at her sister's words, Hikari continued to drag herself along with one of her sisters at each side of her. With every moment spent walking pushing her closer to the breaking point, the mutated girl found herself staggering and stumbling on more than one occasion. The only thing keeping her from falling was her sister's providing moral and physical support. With sweat continuing to drip down in front of her eyes, Hikari studied the terrain.

Just as it had the first time, the train station proved to be quite close to the university campus. And as Hikari was escorted along, she studied the various buildings dotting the grass, as well as the numerous restaurants and small businesses that surrounded the university, standing ready to cater to every whim of both the students and the faculty.

_I wonder…if I'll be going here…when I'm Kodama's age… _Hikari wondered, her thoughts growing disoriented. Once again, she heard the strange static in her mind, similar to that which she had suffered in the aftermath of her dizzy spells. Only it wasn't as unpleasant; more like a series of quiet sounds, forming a hum in the background. _Maybe I could go into…xenobiology…or genetic research. Maybe even write a paper on…_

"Hikari, wake up!" Kodama's voice suddenly broke in, snapping Hikari back to her senses. Looking about dazedly, she saw her sisters looking worriedly at her. "Are you alright?"

Managing a smile, Hikari answered, "I've…been better."

"Don't worry. We're just about there. See?" With that, Kodama gestured towards a familiar building, one in which Hikari and her sisters had once enjoyed a blessed time with her teacher.

Relief so close to her it was almost painful, Hikari mustered up another burst of strength. "Then…what're we waiting for, huh?" she wondered absently. Her sisters simply smiled in response, and continued to aide her. With every moment that she was kept from that place stretching out into an unbearable eternity.

After what felt like forever, Kodama reached out and opened the door to the arcade. Suddenly, the background noise in Hikari's mind seemed to jump, and was accompanied by the sounds of people laughing and staff working and game machines playing. But Hikari didn't care about that. All she really cared about was the wave of wonderfully cool air that gusted out through the open doors, washing over her like a wave of welcome cool.

Suddenly, her wilted body held new strength, and Hikari shoved herself into the building. And in that instant, all thoughts of strange mutations, her transformation, and bizarre alien cells and experiments fled her mind. For she was officially in heaven.

"Ah…air conditioning," Hikari gasped out. Already planning on nominating the inventor of that glorious triumph of man over nature for sainthood.

"Hey, little girl! What the hell are you dressed like that for?!" asked a guy who happened to walking by her. "What, are you expecting a snowstorm or somethin'?"

"Back off, Shiro," Kodama muttered as she came in behind, with Nozomi close behind.

"Hey, Kodama!" Shiro chortled, grinning a perfect grin. "And what are you doing here? I thought you'd be hitting the books right now!"

"Do the words, 'none of you business', mean anything to you?" Kodama retorted. Shiro simply brayed a mocking laugh and pointed at her like a gun before marching off. Watching as Shiro went up to one of the girls there, Kodama shook her head and explained, "Don't mind Shiro. He's just one of the university's resident jock-jerks."

"Now that sounds familiar," Hikari replied with a smile, actually find Shiro reminiscent of Toji, only bigger and cruder. Taking a deep, filling breath of the cool air, feeling it invigorate her and restore her form, she then looked over at her younger sister. "Say, Nozomi, could you do me a favor and get us a table, maybe order something for us? I need to go with Kodama and fix my face."

"Okay!" Nozomi answered brightly. Without any hesitation, she scampered off towards one of the tables, and grabbed up a menu.

Exhaling wearily, Kodama turned her attention back to Hikari. "We better make this quick, before Nozomi orders the entire menu!" she commented, something that succeeded in getting a laugh out of Hikari. With Kodama leading the way, the two of them made their way to the women's restroom.

After taking a moment to look about and make certain that they were alone, the two girls moved into one of the stalls, with Hikari winding up seated on the throne. Bending down before her as she gratefully removed her hood, Kodama grimaced at the sight of her face. "I don't believe this. You're makeup's streaked all over the place!" the eldest sister grumbled.

"Can you fix it?" Hikari wondered worriedly.

"Maybe. At least so that it lasts until we get out of here," Kodama told her, frowning intently. "I'm just glad none of your skin is showing."

"I really am sorry about all this," Hikari told her as she broke out her makeup kit.

"It's not your fault, Hikari. Now just hold still while I…try and fix this mess up," Kodama muttered as she dabbed the pad on her face.

After a few minutes of affecting damage control, the two sisters emerged from the restroom and quickly searched out Nozomi, who was seated by herself and grinning broadly. "Over here!" she cried out, waving for them to join her.

"We're coming," Kodama responded, smiling as she led Hikari over to their table. Sitting down, she asked the younger girl, "So, have you ordered anything for us?"

Smiling brightly and nodding, Nozomi answered, "I got us some sodas, and an Oreo parfait for sister!"

While Hikari's eyes were lighting up in delight behind her sunglasses, Kodama was groaning despairingly. "An Oreo parfait?! After all the cookies she inhaled before?!"

"Well, why not?" Nozomi wondered. "They sure seemed to make her feel better!"

"I don't believe this. Hikari, would you please talk some…" Kodama started. Only to groan despairingly as she saw the blissful look on her sister's face. When Hikari turned to look at her, the eldest Horaki beamed pure distaste at her. "You realize that you're going to turn into a blimp with all those goodies, right?"

Wincing somewhat at this shot at figure, Hikari retorted, "Right now, my figure is the least of my worries." Then she jumped somewhat at the sound of several of the guys there whooping it up over one of the game machines. "Is it always so loud in here?"

"No. You should stop by here after classes. Then it _really _gets loud!" Kodama smirked.

While Hikari was shaking her head wearily at this attempt at humor, a waiter appeared with a tray laden with three sodas, and one mountainous, stupendous, utterly scrumptious-looking parfait. As she set the down on the table, Hikari anxiously reached out and snagged the parfait, raising her head just enough to take in the marvelous bouquet.

"Don't blame me if all that chocolate makes you sick," Kodama grumbled as Hikari picked up her spoon and began digging away at her treat. A treat that she regularly washed down with healthy gulps of her soda.

"Oh, man…I needed this," Hikari commented as she devoured her treat. Already, she felt her strength returning, even increasing, with every bite she took.

"Yeah!" Nozomi chimed in happily, seeming to delight in her sister's indulgences.

"Great. And now I'm stuck with _two _junk food junkies," Kodama grumbled disdainfully, even as she took a sip from her own drink. When her sisters simply laughed in response, she added, "Look, I have an idea. As soon I'm done with this, why don't I go and wait for sensei in his lab. When he gets there, I'll warn him about Hikari, let him know everything that's been going on, and then get him to help us get you to his lab." As the two girls considered Kodama's words, she added, "And it'll give you more time to recover from getting cooked."

"Makes sense," Hikari agreed around a mouthful of ice cream and cookies. "But are you sure he'll believe…this?" she frowned. "It's not exactly the sort of thing that happens on a daily basis."

"Are you kidding me?" Kodama grinned with a raised eyebrow. "Sensei practically lives and breathes science and science-fiction. He keeps telling me that, in the future, humans will be able to do all the stuff they show on television today." Then she smiled in a knowing fashion. "Besides, he trusts me. If I tell him about this, he'll believe it."

"Well, okay then. I guess I'll the convincing up to you," Hikari decided. Then she gave her sister a lopsided grin. "And it's not like you don't have proof to back you up."

"Tell me about it!" Kodama commented, rolling her eyes in the process. Taking a last sip of her drink, she then stood and pulled out her wallet. "Here. This should keep you two happy for a little while," she told them, handing Hikari 2000 yen. "Just remember. If either of you get sick, it's not my fault."

"Understood," Hikari replied, waving as Kodama made her way away from the table. As soon as Kodama was out the door, she felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked over at Nozomi. "What is it?"

"Sister?" Nozomi started, her eyes not on Hikari. Instead, she was gazing at what was left of her Oreo parfait. "You think I can try one of those, too?"

Unable to keep herself from smiling, Hikari sighed and said, "Tell you what. How about we split the next one I get?"

"Okay!" Nozomi smiled eagerly, even as Hikari polished off her current parfait.

---------------------------------------

While the two girls were busily enjoying themselves, a pair of scheming eyes were watching them from a distance. Eyes that had watched the two girls sitting with another female. A female those eyes had seen several times before.

"Hey, Yukari!" came a male voice, a voice the eyes owner knew quite well. Looking over her shoulder, Yukari watched as her current boyfriend Shiro stomped over to her side, grinning as he usually did. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Yukari returned her attention to the two young girls, who were currently sucking down sweets like they didn't have a care in the world. "Watcha doing?"

"Oh, nothing," Yukari replied with deceptive easiness. "I see you bumped into Kodama's sisters."

"Huh?" Shiro got out, clearly confused by this statement. Which came as no real surprise. "Wh…what makes you think they're her sisters?"

An irritated groan echoing in her throat, Yukari narrowed her eyes poisonously at the jock who frequently shared a bed with her. "Well, why else do you think _Kodama,_ the darling of the science department, would drag a pair of little girls here?" she asked acidly. When Shiro frowned in concentration, Yukari knew it would take a little time for his Neanderthal brain to successfully process this concept. "Besides, I heard her call one of them Nozomi. Someone whom she's just _happened_ to mention in class."

"Oh. Okay," Shiro nodded, seeming to be satisfied with this. Then he grinned that idiot's grin of his again. "Say, what do you make of the girl in the sweats, eh? I mean, what kind of idiot wears all _that_ on day like _this?"_

_Either someone who is even dumber than you ever dreamed of being, or someone who doesn't want to be recognized,_ Yukari thought, taking in how thoroughly concealed every inch of the girl's body was. _And there's no way anyone could be dumber than you are._

"I know," was what Yukari actually said. "And it makes me wonder why Kodama would bring them out here."

Shrugging, Shiro asked, "Well, if you're so interested, why don't you ask them?"

Nodding thoughtfully, Yukari smirked cruelly. "Actually, that sounds like a wonderful idea," she replied, looking over at her current boy-toy. "In fact…why don't we take them for…a little ride in that new hotrod of yours, hmm?"

These words sparked some wariness in Shiro's normally dull eyes. "A ride?" he asked, narrowing an eye at her. Then he groaned unhappily, throwing back his head for dramatic effect. "Aw, c'mon, Yukes! You're not still peeved about Kodama winning the science award, are you?!"

"Mad? At Professor Ousugi's personal slut?" Yukari asked with a superior air. Sniffing loudly, she then grinned, "Not a chance. After all, why get mad…when you can get even instead?" A loud groan was Shiro's answer to this, one he seemed intent on following up with something more intelligible. But before he could open his big mouth again, Yukari ordered, "Now, why don't go…get acquainted with Kodama's delightful sisters, hmm? I'm sure she'll be happy as anything to hear we've been…taking care of them while she's away."

A deflated grumble escape Shiro's lips, but he showed no sign of protest. Which was about what Yukari expected. Shiro was a patented idiot, whose intelligence was inversely proportionate to his strength and willingness to do whatever he was told by her. A fact that kept her Yukari very happy in bed, and in pulling off little jokes like this.

"C'mon, Shiro," Yukari grinned wickedly as she started towards the girls' table. "We can't keep the little things waiting…"

----------------------------------------------------

Author's Notes: Yes, I know, a rotten place for me to cut off. But if it's any consolation, I've got a big action sequence planned for the next chapter, and then we get to visit the professor and get some answers. So in the meantime, I hope you'll still read and review. And Maybe check out my other stories while you're at it.

Zoro50, sorry for the lack of action, but I can't just throw Hikari into a bunch of criminals, just like that. Still, I hope the setup and hints of future excitement will satisfy you until the next update.

Mike313, I have been trying to reign in my dislike for the Red Devil. Especially in regards to her dealings with Hikari. Though I can understand why you'd be worried.

And on that note, it's time for this chapter's omake…

Omake

"Okay, I'm here," Hikari spoke quietly, looking at the various superwomen arrayed before her. "So…what did you want to talk to me about?"

The six women looked quietly amongst themselves, just before Ghost Rider stepped towards the green redhead. "It's like this, Hikari. We need your help with Orion."

"Orion?" Hikari grimaced, looking at the first series of superwomen. "What are you talking about? And what am I even doing here, anyway! I'm a _DC _superwoman, remember!"

"Oh, we know that!" She-Hulk concurred. "But you're still being written by Orion, just like we are, and the fact is, you're probably the only one who can help us with this!"

"That's right," Spider-Woman agreed. "Now, as you know, Orion isn't exactly a big fan of Asuka's. In _any _form."

"Uh, yeah. I kinda figured that out when I read that one chapter of 'Lilith's Herald'," Hikari admitted. Then she looked at the demonic incarnation of her best friend. "But look on the bright side. It looks like he might pair you up with Kaji in that story!"

"That's not the point!" Ghost Rider snarled. "That stupid jerk is also portraying me as some self-centered, brain-dead egomaniac that cares about nothing but herself! And as you've noticed, one of his favorite pastimes is bashing the hell out of me!"

Frowning, Hikari couldn't help but admit that her friend had a valid point. "Well, okay…but what can I do?"

"In this story, you are being given the Martian Mahunter's powers, correct?" Silver Surfer asked, to which Hikari nodded. "And one of those powers is mindreading."

"Anyway, we figured that maybe you could sit down with Orion. Talk to him," Ms. Fantastic explained bashfully. "Get to the root of his Asuka-hating, and maybe even help him get over it."

"Look, everyone…I really do understand what you're talking about, but come on!" Hikari protested. "I haven't even gotten those powers yet! And even when I do, I'm not sure if I'll be able to help! I'm just a Superwoman of Eva2! I don't do miracles!"

"I know that, but…really, Hikari! I'm sick and tired of being made to look like some kind of heartless monster!" Asuka pleaded, grabbing hold of her by the shoulder.

Wilting before her friend's pleading expression, one that even softened her demonic image, Hikari finally said, "Well…okay." As the Superwomen of Eva made various noises of relief, Hikari smiled and asked, "So…where is Orion, anyway?"

"He's off at this fighting event he arranged in the SOE2 universe," Captain America informed her.

"A fighting match?" Hikari repeated.

"Yeah," Ghost Rider grumbled. "My SOE2 counterpart versus _Doomsday_ in a fight to the finish!"

Her eyes bugging out at this, Hikari then brought her head to her now-throbbing temple. "Oh…how do I just know that I'm going to regret this…?"

(Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to Marvel Comics or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.)


	4. A Rockhead and a Hot Place

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to DC Comics or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Chapter 4: A Rockhead and a Hot Place

Hikari couldn't remember ever feeling so good in her entire life.

As she sat back, feeling the wonderfully chill air of the arcade fill her lungs and ice cream melting through her body, Hikari could barely could bring herself to care about the horrendous transformation that was her reason for being there that day. Nor did she really care that Kodama had her and Nozomi there, had gone off to find Professor Ousugi and bring him there, so that Hikari could brought to his lab by car, rather than once again be forced to endure the blistering heat that lay just beyond the arcade doors.

At that moment, all Hikari could do was relax, feel her strength returning to her. And even though she knew it was likely that she was somewhat out of it, every moment that passed seem to give even greater energy to both her body and her spirits. A process that she had no doubt was greatly helped by the youthful high spirits of Nozomi. A girl that was largely unperturbed by the fact that her sister had turned green this morning, and was bouncing about in her chair with a large splotch of ice cream still clinging to her features.

"Hmmm…that was great, sister!" Nozomi smiled blissfully even as Hikari leaned back with a lazy smile. Their shared parfait a sweet memory that was settling nicely in their respective insides. "Do you think we have time for another one?"

Sighing deeply, Hikari dearly wanted to say yes. In fact, she wanted to find the arcade's freezer and lock herself in there, enjoying both the cold and the ice cream at the same time. But while her transformation had changed many things, her sense of responsibility had not been completely subverted. "Oh, I wish," the pigtailed girl finally admitted. "But we're not sure what's going on with me…and I _know _too much of this stuff isn't good for _you."_

Groaning loudly, Nozomi sat back and folded her arms in cute rebellion. "Aw, that's not fair…"

Laughing as this portion of normal life came to the fore, Hikari once again felt that strange background buzz in the back of her mind spike. Jumping slightly, she started looking about the arcade. "What is it, sister?" Nozomi wondered as Hikari frowned intently. A frown that deepened when she saw two people heading their way. One of which she recognized as Shiro, and the other was a girl of roughly Kodama's age. A long-haired beauty who knew exactly how to show every single curve she possessed, and she had a great many of those.

_She kind of looks Misato-sama,_ Hikari decided, recalling Shinji's and Asuka's guardian. Then she frowned at the look of false sweetness she wore. _Or maybe her evil twin._

"Well, hello, girls," the lady spoke, her voice dripping with the same sugarcoated nastiness that showed on her face. "Well, I don't think I've ever seen either of you around here before," she murmured appraisingly even as Hikari adjusted her sunglasses and hood. Making certain that neither her crimson eyes or hair were visible. "Watcha doing? Taking a break from all this heat?"

"We're just waiting for our sister," Nozomi answered innocently, causing Hikari to hiss in distress.

"Oh, really?" the woman smiled, leaning against the table as she folded her arms. Then she cocked her head over at her companion. "Shiro told me that he saw Kodama come in with you. That wouldn't happen to mean that…she's your sister, hmmm?"

"That's right," Nozomi got out, even as Hikari placed a restraining hand on her shoulder.

While Nozomi was looking in confusion at Hikari, the woman was cocking her had, letting out a low chuckle. "Now, isn't that funny. Kodama bringing you two out here, and not even telling me about it," she mused thoughtfully.

"Oh! You mean you know our sister?" Nozomi piped up. Only to wince slightly as Hikari tightened her grip, letting out a slight noise of pain. "Sister, stop it! That hurts!"

"Nozomi…!" Hikari hissed, leaning forward and giving her an intense look. Then she pulled back, and looked at the newcomers with the same level of intensity. "I'm sorry. You see, our mother keeps telling us that we shouldn't talk to strangers."

This statement resulted in the woman's lips curling down somewhat. "Your mother? But I thought…" Before the woman could complete her sentence, however, her face lit up with comprehension, and then settled into a crafty smile. "Well, aren't we the clever little thing?"

"Huh?" Shiro muttered, giving his companion a glance that betrayed how little wattage there was operating in his upper stories. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, it seems this little darlings aren't willing to trust the word of a complete stranger. Perfectly understandable, of course," the woman smiled, never once loosing that look of venomous sweetness. "But you see, I really _do _know Kodama, and she's told me all kinds of things about the two of you. And your family."

"Really?" Nozomi grinned, even as Hikari frowned that much more deeply. There was something wrong here. The disguised girl could sense an air of menace hovering about the fair stranger. It was like she could see or smell the danger she radiated.

"Of course. Kodama and I go back a long ways," the woman assured them. Then she brought her finger to her lips in, and tightened her smile. "Let's see...it's Hikari, and Nozomi, right?"

"That's right. But we already knew that part," Hikari muttered tersely. "So why don't you tell something you don't know? Like who _you _are?"

"Sister!" Nozomi chided, giving Hikari a scolding look. Then she smiled apologetically at the woman. "I'm sorry. She's had a…a rough day so far."

"Oh, I understand. After all, I've had more than a few of those myself now and then," the woman replied easily, dismissing Nozomi's concerns with a wave of her hand. Then she gave Hikari a thoughtful nod, and added, "But she does have a point, you know. I know your names, so it's only fair that I introduce myself as well."

"That would be appreciated," Hikari agreed, narrowing her eyes behind her sunglasses.

The woman nodded to this. "But first…" she cooed gingerly, just before her smiling visage melted away like cheap makeup. In its place was an expression of devious cruelty. Just as Hikari was processing this change, a change that mirrored what she sensed in the woman. Then with such speed that Hikari couldn't even see her move, she grabbed hold of Nozomi's wrist. The woman flashed them a dangerous grin, and hissed, "Why don't we go for a little ride?"

"Hey!" Hikari squawked in outrage as the woman pulled Nozomi out of her seat. Before she could move, the transformed girl felt a set of thick arms wrap about her shoulders. She instinctively tried to resist, but she lacked the strength and the leverage to break free of the steely muscles that restrained her. "What the – _hey! Let me go!!"_

"And while we're at it, you can tell me why you're all bundled up like that," the woman went on as Hikari was yanked out of her own chair. Before she knew what had happened, Shiro had scooped her under his arm, and was carrying her towards the door.

"_Help! Let us go!!" _Nozomi shrilled while Hikari looked about fearfully, searching the crowd for any sign that someone was going to help them. Unfortunately, while there were several concerned onlookers, no one seemed interested in coming to their aide. They probably thought this was just another dumb college stunt or hazing ritual, maybe even a fraternity initiation. All the people there complete unaware that she and Nozomi were very likely in real danger. More than they could even imagine.

Already, Hikari's mind was painting a thousand worst-case scenarios for her, with their abductors peeling off her disguise and makeup and revealing her transformation topping them all. And from there even more horrible possibilities loomed for her.

These horrors giving greater urgency to her, Hikari squirmed about in her abductor's grasp. "No, wait! _Help!!" _she cried out, grabbing hold of the meaty arm restraining her. Digging her fingers in, she struggled to wrench herself free of Shiro's grip.

"Hey, cut it out! Ouch!" Shiro groaned in pain, just as they exited the arcade. Hikari was then hit by the full power of the sun, and swooned from sudden wave of heat.

"Stop it! Let me go!" Nozomi was heard crying out. Grimacing as the heat started suffusing her disguise, Hikari looked up and saw the woman heading towards a red convertible with the top down. Her abductor keeping an iron-clad grasp on her wrist.

"Nozomi!" Hikari gasped out. Her face tightening into a deadly grimace, the young matriarch heaved in deep breath of the hideously warm air. Heat that didn't touch her quite as severely as it had before, and didn't stop her from squirming about that much more fiercely than before.

"Now, you just be quiet for a little while longer, and we'll go for that ride I promised you," the woman cooed, still using that sickly-sweet voice of hers. Then she swung her gaze over towards Shiro, and then she let more of the nastiness bubbling in her core peek out in the form of a deadly frown. "Hurry up, you idiot! We don't have all day!"

"Hey, give me a break!" Shiro groaned as Hikari continued to struggle against him. "This girl's stronger than she looks!"

"Just get her in the car!" the woman ordered, even as she opened the door and flung Nozomi inside. The tiny girl cried out in protest, and tried to recover the instant she was inside. But their abductor had already got into the driver's seat, and was perched so that she could hold Nozomi in place. "And don't you even think of running off now! Not when I've got so many things in mind for you!"

"Let her go, bitch!" Hikari snarled, digging her nails in even harder. When Shiro just grunted more at this, the pigtailed girl decided that stronger measures were called for. Craning her neck over her captor's thick arm, she opened her mouth and bit down on him as hard as she could.

"_Ouch!!"_ Shiro shrieked, instinctively tightening his grip on her. Hikari just bit down harder, determined to make this brainless lug drop her. To get over to her sister and get her away from the cruel witch that was mistreating her.

What she got instead was a heavy thunk on the head, courtesy of Shiro's free hand. "Cut it out, you little brat!" the jerk growled. When Hikari failed to let go, he pounded her on the head again, and again. Until finally enough stars and comets were passing before her eyes to encourage her to pull her teeth out of his arm. "Geez! I'm bleeding all over the place! You stupid little…!"

While Shiro was giving Hikari another wrap on the head for good measure, the woman was staring at the both of them. "Would you mind moving just a bit faster? You know, before that slut Kodama shows up?"

While Nozomi was protesting the woman's language against her sister, Shiro let out a low whine. "Hey, come on, Yukari! This brat is stronger than she looks! And would you look at what she did to my throwing arm?!"

"Don't worry. I'll be sure to kiss it and make it all better later," Yukari sneered, somehow making this crude gesture look sinfully sexy. "Now hurry up and get her in the car!"

"Okay, okay! Sheesh!" Shiro grumbled, shaking his head as if wondering what he could have possibly done to deserve such ill treatment. Quickening his pace, the jock arrived at the side of his car. Eyeing Hikari distastefully, he unceremoniously dumped her in the back seat. "Now stay there," he shouted as the disguised girl practically bounced on top of her sibling.

"Hurry, you big ox!" Yukari shouted, waving for Shiro to get in even as she slid behind the wheel. "Now keep those two occupied!"

"Sister, are you okay?" Nozomi wondered, taking hold of the shaken Hikari.

"Ugh…!" Hikari returned, placing her hand to her forehead. As the disguised girl struggled to regain her bearings, her ears were filled with the sound of an engine turning over. A sound that was soon followed by the car lurching backwards, sending the two of them sprawling.

"Hey, what's the matter with you two?" Shiro giggled inanely. Though neither sister was able to look directly at him as they tumbled about, they caught quick glances of him leaning over his seat, grinning mindlessly at them. "Don't you know enough to buckle up? It's the rule of the road!"

"Perhaps they think rules are meant to be broken," Yukari chimed in, malevolent glee in her words as she guided her car to the open road. "In which case, we already have something in common!"

Both girls groaned in protest as they slowly regained themselves. "Hey! Let us go!" Nozomi cried out as she grabbed hold of the driver's seat. "This is kidnapping!!"

"Really?" Yukari smirked. Though Hikari couldn't see her face, could she easily imagine the dismissive smile she was surely wearing. "Aw, don't think you're making a bit too much of this? All we're doing is taking you for a little ride."

"A little ride?" Hikari muttered tensely. "And where _exactly _are you taking us, anyway?"

"Oh, nowhere special," Yukari returned casually as she sped up. She then glanced over her shoulder at the two of them, and beamed them a look of calculating malice. "Just this little place I happen to know where we can spend some time all to ourselves…not be disturbed…get to know each other better…"

A lump of bile formed in Hikari's throat at that. She already had a pretty good idea what exactly this woman meant by this, and it didn't conjure up pleasant images in her mind. "Why are you doing this to us, anyway?!"

"Yeah! We never did anything to you!" Nozomi added forcefully.

"And I never said that you did," Yukari replied, her superficially pleasant voice turning colder, more dangerous. "Now, don't get me wrong. I really don't have anything personal against either of you. And I'm sure you're both perfectly _delightful _little girls." Their abductor paused, letting out a low grunt before adding, "Not at all like your sister."

"Our sister?" Nozomi wondered.

"Kodama?" Hikari added, thrown by this revelation. Her voice sharpened with a fierce edge as she asked, "What do you have against Kodama, anyway?!"

"What do I have against her?" Yukari growled. Taking the car into a hairpin turn, she sent the Horaki sisters sprawling across their seat. "You mean, aside from the fact that she's a slut, a cheat, and the bane of my existence?"

"Hey! Don't you talk about her like that!" Nozomi shrilled.

"You want me to stop? Then make me," Yukari growled, a sound that was very much like a rattlesnake preparing to strike. "In any case, the fact remains that I have a large grievance that I want to settle with Kodama. And you two…you are going to help me."

As Hikari sat there, alternating between looking at her abductors and her sister, her gaze met with Nozomi's. And she saw all the fear, the confusion, the helplessness that her sister was wearing about her like a cloud of doom. She even could have sworn that she heard her sister within her own mind, pleading to her. Begging for her to help, to find a way out of this mess. To make things right again.

_But…what can I do?! _Hikari demanded, her mind badly thrown by everything that had been happening that day. So much insanity, and all in one day. One day, and everything had gone insane! How was she supposed to cope with this?

And yet, even as these things ran through her mind, another part of Hikari's mind was asserting itself. A part of herself that she relied on every single day in order to deal with every manner of minor calamity that arose in the Horaki household. A part that had been hardened into unyielding steel over the passage of time, as a result of another day that had cast her life into madness. And she had been forced by the necessity of the situation to take up the role that her mother had left behind.

Hikari had been forced to take control. To take charge of the situation.

Heaving a deep breath, Hikari tried to steady herself. Tried to ignore the way the car swerved wildly about, the fact that their lives were in the hands of this madwoman who had come seemingly out of nowhere. Tried to ignore the heat that was once again sapping her strength. And tried to place herself back in the role of the class representative, and she was just dealing with another idiot who was up to no good.

_It's a good thing this whacko brought Ding-Dong here along for the ride! _Hikari thought, doing her best to focus on Shiro. On his vacuous eyes, his idiot's grin, the way he so readily heeded his mistress's command. _He's like Toji and Kensuke had been stuck in a food processor and blended into one big Stooge!_

"Look, I really don't know what your problem with my sister is. And to be honest, I really don't care," Hikari informed her captors, invoking the tone of authority that left many an errant male trembling in the face of certain doom. "But kidnapping us isn't going to solve it."

"And there you go, using that ugly word again," Yukari cooed deviously, giving a sad little shake of her head. "Kidnapping. All we're doing is taking you for a little ride! That's all!"

"Yeah, a little ride!" Shiro chortled, nodding in agreement. "What's the big deal?"

"I don't care what you call it. It's still kidnapping in my book. And it's a _very _big deal," Hikari informed them flatly, folding her arms across her chest. "And I'm pretty sure the police will agree with me."

This caught Shiro's attention. The dumb jock's smile failed as his mouth fell open, forcing him to give his head a shake in order to reboot his brain. "Th-the police?!" he finally repeated, completely baffled by this. "But…hey, what are you talking about?!"

"What am I talking about?! I'm talking about the fact that the two of you forced to come along with you against our will!" Hikari informed them, not allowing herself of giving into fear. Not when her sister was depending on. "And don't try to deny it, because there must've been at least a dozen people back at the arcade who saw us, _and _you!" Watching as Shiro performed an incredible impression of a fish out of water, the Horaki matriarch smiled deviously, and prepared to hammer in the final nail of their coffin. "And I'm sure that the police would be able to find at least one person there to talk to."

"Huh?!" Shiro got out, his underutilized brain still trying to process the end result of this scenario. Finally, after blinking several times in rapid succession, a couple of lights turned back on in the upper stories. "But – hey! We're just taking you – I mean, we're gonna bring ya back, and - !"

"Maybe, maybe not," Hikari sneered, doing her best to look aloof and unimpressed when she was slowly withering away in her disguise. "But even if the police don't do us all a big favor and lock you two away, I'm sure that the university's dean could think of something to do with you. Just to make sure that you don't pull anything like this again."

Once again, Shiro's lack of intellectual capability showed as his brain slowly processed what Hikari had said. When it was finally done, the last of his smug superiority dissolved into worried confusion. Frowning worriedly, he sputtered out, "Say, Yukes…"

"Don't you pay any attention to her," Yukari replied instantly, unperturbed by Hikari's words. If anything, she sounded even more pleased than she had been earlier.

"But…what she said…about the cops…!" Shiro fumbled, alternating from looking to their captives to their driver. "Seriously, Yukes, I can't get mixed up with the cops! If my folks hear about this -!"

"Then you'd get into all kinds of trouble, wouldn't you?" Yukari oozed, turning a look of sympathy at him that was as false as any of her other sweet gestures. "And I wouldn't be too happy myself, for that matter." The driver then glanced over her shoulder at the girls, and it was all Hikari could do not to freeze. The sheer confidence this woman held was a frightening thing in and of itself. "It's good thing that they wouldn't actually do something like that, now, isn't it?"

"Huh?" Shiro got out, once again left trying to figure out what was going on. "They wouldn't?!"

"We wouldn't?" Nozomi asked perplexedly. She then looked at her sister, searching for answers. "Sister?"

Hikari didn't meet Nozomi's gaze. _She's figured it out, _she thought instead, angry and despondent that her bluff had been called. _Dammit._

Yukari let out a low, cold chuckle, one that confirmed Hikari's suspicion. "Of course not. After all, if they wanted anything to stick with the police, then they'd have to file an official complaint," the scheming woman explained, giving her captives a sideways glance. "And considering the way this one is dressed, I'm guessing that the last thing they want…is any kind of attention." Unable to help herself, Hikari gulped as the one eye Yukari had turned towards her narrowed into a slit. "In fact, I'm sure they'd much rather that nobody found out they were out here at all."

Hikari didn't say anything to this. She just sat there, clenching her fists helplessly. Silently cursing her mutated body, Professor Ousugi's experiment, Kodama, God, and just about anything she could curse for the spot they were in. And knowing that there was absolutely nothing she could do to get them out of this mess.

"Oh…I get it!" Shiro grinning, finally grasping the situation. "They're up to something themselves, and they don't want anybody else knowing about, neither!"

"Correction. _Kodama _is up to something," Yukari gritted cruelly. "That sneaky slut has probably got another scheme in the works to humiliate me, just like she did before. But that's not going to happen."

"You're crazy!" Nozomi cried out, tears of fear rolling down her cheeks. "This has nothing to do with you! We never even heard about you before!"

"Maybe. Maybe not. But it's obvious that you're trying to keep something secret here. Something juicy…and that's just the sort of thing I _love _to hear all about," Yukari told them, punctuating her words with a cruel giggle. "And that's why we're going to spend some quality time together. So you can tell me _all _about it."

As Yukari's laughter filled the air, Shiro soon joining in, Hikari sat back in her seat. Once again feeling Nozomi's pleading eyes upon her. And knowing that she had no way of helping her sister…or herself.

---------------------------------------------------------

"I really do appreciate this, sensei," Kodama breathed wearily, her clothes and skin alike stained with sweat. And though she was as vulnerable to heat as Hikari had apparently become, she was as appreciative for the air conditioning of his car as she was sure her afflicted sister would be. "I know it can't be easy to break from your classes, and on such short notice…"

"Oh, don't worry about it, Kodama! Anything for my Number One Prized Pupil!" Ousugi replied with obvious pride. Then he gave her a conspiratorial look and added, "Besides, it's not like it's the first time I've left a recorded lecture for all the recorders my other so-called students decorate my lecture hall with!" When Kodama automatically laughed at his wit, the professor once again became serious. "But I will admit this much; if anybody else had come to me with a story like this, I'd have thought she had been sneaking off to a few too many frat parties."

This time, Kodama's mirth was somewhat more muted. "I know what you mean. When Nozomi tried to tell me what had happened, I thought she'd just had a bad dream," she admitted before giving a sad shake of her head. "But sensei, this _is _real. What's happening to Hikari…"

"Hey, I already said I believed you!" Ousugi responded quickly. Then he let go an unhappy sigh. "Too bad I wasn't listening to you when you suggested we should get her to a doctor. We'd probably have saved ourselves quite a bit of trouble."

"Sensei, c'mon. _Nobody _could have known that something like this would happen!" Kodama pleaded as they approached the arcade. "Let's just see what can we do for Hikari, and go from there. Okay?"

"Sounds like a workable plan to me," Ousugi conceded, his good humor returning as easily as ever. "Ah, Kodama. What would I do without you to keep my wild mind grounded in reality?"

Having been asked this particular question on more than one occasion, Kodama knew not to bother answering. Instead, she focused on the arcade as the professor pulled into the parking lot. Opening the door before they even came to a stop, the eldest Horaki sister yanked off her seatbelt and leapt from the car. Rushing straight towards the main door, she flung it open and marched in. "Hikari? Nozomi? I'm back!" she cried out, her eyes immediately settling on the table she had left them at.

They weren't there. In fact, there was nothing at all on the table. No ice cream dishes, no glasses, no napkins. Nothing but water left over from a recent cleaning.

Her jaw falling as a spark of immediate fear caused her heart to skip a beat, Kodama looked wildly about. For a moment, she was certain that she had been looking at the wrong table. Or that her sisters had simply gone to the bathroom, and the staff had cleaned up while they were gone. For a few moments, she even considered the insane possibility that someone had switched the entire arcade while she hadn't been looking.

It was certainly preferable to considering the alternatives, of which Kodama could only think of two. One was that they had wandered off someplace on their own, something that she could see Nozomi doing, but would never have thought her levelheaded middle sister capable of.

_Unless Hikari's changed even more than we realized! _Kodama thought, a bolt of panic ripping through her mind. Though she had seemed to be more-or-less her normal self mentally, her bizarre appetites still disturbed the eldest Horaki. Though not nearly as much as the second alternative; that some unknown party was responsible for her sisters' disappearance. In which case…

_No! I can't let myself think of that!_ Kodama told herself, upending a mental bucket of water on her thought processes. _I have to be calm, examine this from every angle. I have to think like a scientist._

A scientist. This very image was enough to help Kodama regain her cool, helping her order her thoughts, and detach herself from the situation, and boil it down to is basics. The problem? Hikari and Nozomi weren't where they were supposed to be. Therefore, she had to conduct research in order to learn where they were now. And the best way to do that would be to ask the right people the right questions.

Thinking quickly, Kodama went straight to the girl manning the cash register. "Excuse me?" she asked worriedly as she approached, waving for the girl's attention. Fortunately for the Horaki's sanity, the girl wasn't busy, unless a person counted reading a magazine and blowing bubbles with her gum busy. "Excuse me?" she tried again when the register girl didn't look up right away.

This second attempt got results. The girl's eyes rose from the magazine to Kodama, at which point she quickly sucked her gum into her mouth and set aside her reading material. "Oh, I'm sorry!" she apologized, putting on her biggest, most helpful smile. "What can I do for you?"

"Listen, I need your help!" Kodama pleaded, turning to point at the table in question. "I left these two girls here earlier while I went on…an errand, and I told them to wait for me here! Did you see them?"

"Two girls?" the register attendant frowned, narrowing her eyes in thought. Then her frown turned upside down as she asked, "Was one of them, like, totally bundled up in sweats and shades?"

"That's them!" Kodama replied instantly, bobbing her head in relief. Feeling like she was already halfway to recovering her stray siblings. "Did you see where they went?"

"Uh, no. Actually…I was kind of busy at the time," the girl confessed sheepishly. While Kodama was experiencing a wave of disappointment and frustration, eyeing the magazine that she was certain this girl hadn't been doing her job, the attendant added, "But their friend did pay their bill."

This statement quickly cut into the line of hateful thoughts that was running through Kodama's mind. "Their friend?" she repeated querulously. "What friend?!"

"Oh, it was this big guy. Football jock, by the looks of him," the register attendant said, sounding out her thoughts. "I think he said his name was…Shino…Shozo…?"

"Shiro?" Kodama prompted, frowning as she said the name.

Snapping her fingers in agreement, the girl then pointed at Kodama. "Yeah, that's it!" she grinned, looking like a girl who had just grabbed the brass ring. "He said he was their friend, and that he'd take care of the bill for them. And he – hey what is it?" The girl frowned worriedly as Kodama's eyes fell to the floor. "Is something wrong?"

Kodama wasn't listening to the girl anymore. Her thoughts were elsewhere, speeding along at rates that she would never have been able to articulate, analyzing the situation. The question; why would Shiro, a total jerk and mindless lunk, decide to pay for two girls he didn't even know, and lie about why he was doing it? The answer was, of course, that he wouldn't. Not on his own, at least. Therefore, the only conclusion was that someone else had put him up to it.

Another moment's thought was all it took for Kodama to realize who that person was. A person who face resulted in her bringing her hands to her mouth, barely staving off an overwhelming torrent of profanity from escaping her lips.

"Oh, _shit!!" _was the only curse that got free from Kodama's mouth. Not wasting a moment, she turned on her heel and raced for the doors. Blowing back out into the afternoon sun, she practically slammed into the professor's car.

"Kodama?!" Ousugi jumped as she fumbled to open her door. "What's going on?! Where're -?!"

"They're not here! They're gone!" Kodama spat out, almost gagging on the very words she was speaking.

"G-gone?!" Ousugi sputtered. "But where -?!"

"It's Yukari!" Kodama heaved bitterly as she slid into the passenger's seat. As quickly as she could, with words tumbling out on top of one another, she explained what had happened. "She must've put him up to this! It's the only explanation!"

His face sagging with dismay, Ousugi stared at his student like she had just told him the sky was falling. "Are you trying to tell me that…Yukari Hanzaki has _kidnapped your sisters?!"_

"Don't tell me you don't think she wouldn't do something like that, sensei! We both know her too well for that!" Kodama got out, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. "Oh, God! What was I even _thinking?! _When I saw Shiro there, I should've known! I _never _should have left them alone!! If Hikari hadn't been so sick from the heat, I -!"

"Now, now, Kodama! We can't get all panicked! That's the absolute last thing we can afford right now!" Ousugi told her flatly, his tone ruining whatever calming influence his words were so supposed to carry for her. "But – blast it all! Are you sure about this?!"

"Who else could it have been?!" Kodama demanded, holding up her palms in emphasis. "You know her! Ever since I won the science award, she acts like every little thing I do is part of some plot against her! And Shiro -!"

"Okay, okay! You've made your point!" Ousugi pleaded in surrender, shaking his head in frustration. "Of course, that still leaves us with a little problem. Namely, what are we going to do about it?" Letting out his breath in a stream from his pursed lips, the professor gave his student a rueful smile. "Unfortunately, short of calling in the police, I'm afraid I'm out of ideas."

Kodama's first impulse was to say yes to this. She had been against trying to cover up Hikari's transformation right from the beginning, and this incident seemed to be proof positive that they should have simply taken her to the hospital and have gone from there. And worse yet was the fact that she knew Yukari, knew the kind of trouble she was capable of, and leaving her sisters in the hands of the egomaniacal sadist was an intolerable notion for her.

However, it wasn't long before Kodama's scientific mind once again kicked in, and began pointing out all the various problems with this idea. "No," the eldest Horaki muttered as these processes of logic poked holes in her plan. "There's not a lot we can tell the police right now, and Hikari can't be declared officially missing for at least twenty-four hours. And by the time they're able to actually start _doing _something, it'll be too late."

"Good point," Ousugi nodded grimly. "And I doubt that Yukari would actually want to hurt your sisters. She might not be the nicest of people, but even she's not crazy enough to do something that'll get her expelled or in some kind of legal trouble."

"True," Kodama concurred, taking some heart in this. But this silver lining was quickly overwhelmed by the thunderheads they were attached to. "Too bad that's the least of our problems." Ousugi didn't say anything to this. He didn't have to. The both of them knew the kind of trouble they would both be in if Yukari found out what had happened to Hikari, let alone _how _it happened.

"Tell me all about it! I can see the headlines on the campus paper already! 'Mad scientist turns girl into Martian!' 'College professor plays Frankenstein!'" Ousugi muttered, rolling his eyes at these images. "The dean will have my guts for garters! Not to mention the academic community! And if they found out that you were assisting me -!"

"They would. Yukari'd make sure of it. You can bet on that," Kodama grumbled bitterly. "At which point it'll be _both _our guts. And then…then Hikari…" The eldest Horaki was unable to complete her sentence. Unable to give voice to all the untold horrors her mind was already conjuring up as possible future for her afflicted sibling, each one worst than the one before. For although she at the possibility of Hikari winding up some form of science experiment before, having Yukari in the mix left her much more susceptible to the various worst-case scenarios Nozomi had concocted.

Giving a low whistle at the dilemma they were in, Ousugi muttered, "In which case, we have but two choices left to us. Either we get ready for our march to the gallows…or we can track down that scheming little witch before she finishes tying a set of nooses for us!"

"But where do we start looking?!" Kodama bleated despairingly. "They could be _anywhere_ by now!"

"No, not anywhere," Ousugi countered, his brows knotted up in thought as he wagged his finger in Kodama's face. "Think about it, Kodama. As I said before, Yukari's not crazy enough to do something that'll get her personally in trouble. So she wouldn't take them someplace very far, simply because she'd want to get them out of sight as quickly as possible."

Her eyes widening as she saw the logic in her teacher's words, Kodama breathed, "So they're probably someplace nearby! Maybe even on the campus! And if they drove them someplace, then -!"

"Then if we drive around and look for either her or Shiro's car, then we should be able to find them!" Ousugi concluded with a triumphant nod. Then he shrugged in a sheepish fashion before adding, "Of course, there's still a lot of campus for us to search, but…"

"But nothing! Let's just get going already!" Kodama growled. The professor just nodded his assent before starting the engine. As he swung the car about and headed out of the parking lot, Kodama was completely silent. Caught between praying that her sisters were alright…and planning all kinds of evil things to do to their abductors if they weren't.

-------------------------------------------

"Do you _have _to carry me around like a sack of garbage?!" Hikari grumbled hatefully as she hauled about roughly on his shoulder. Pounding her fists impotently on Shiro's back while she took in her surroundings. "I do have legs, you know! I _can _walk!"

"Yeah, and I'm sure you can run, too!" Shiro grumbled as he carried Hikari into what looked like a gym locker room. "Now cut it out with the hitting already! That hurts, ya little brat!"

"Now, now, Shiro!" Yukari cooed. Though Hikari couldn't see her, she still felt as if she could somehow smell her air of malice, a stench that was even heavier than the mold and mildew, the sweat and chlorine that were already filling her nose. "Didn't your mother ever teach you how to treat a lady? Please, find the little thing a seat."

"Huh?" Shiro got out. Once again, there was the customary pause as he tried to figure out what his mistress meant, after which he muttered. "Okay, Yukes. Whatever you say." Once again, Hikari felt the brainless lump walking, and soon he hefted her off of his shoulder and forcibly sat her down on what felt like a hard, wooden bench.

When Hikari grunted at the ill-treatment, she heard Yukari clicking her tongue scornfully. "Easy, now. We don't want to rough up the little thing," the cruel woman spoke. Drawn by her voice, Hikari looked in her direction, and locked onto the voice's owner. She was seated on another bench, with a bunch of lockers to her back, her hand still wrapped tightly about Nozomi's wrist, and a malicious smile tightening her lips. "At least…not just yet."

Snorting brusquely, Hikari gave her captor a sideways glance before focusing her attention on the woman responsible for their situation. "This isn't going to work, you know," she told her in a matter-of-fact fashion. "You can't hold us forever, and sooner or later, Kodama's going to come looking for us."

"Of course she is, dear," Yukari returned, her smile turning into a momentary sneer at Kodama's mentioning. "In fact, I'm sure she's on her way right now." Then her smile returned in full force, turning predatory as she leaned forward, her eyes seeming to bore through Hikari's sunglasses and into her brain. "But I doubt she'll be able to find us right away. Which gives us just enough time to have a little...heart-to-heart with each other."

"We're not gonna tell you nothing!" Nozomi declared, trying to wrench herself free. "So just let us go!"

Making a perfect wounded pout, Yukari shook her head in mock dismay. "Oh, but I'm sure you two have so many fascinating things to talk about," she muttered, her eyes never once looking away from Hikari. "Like why you're dressed up like that. Or how about why your face is slathered in makeup?"

A cold chill running down her spine, Hikari knew that she on a tightrope, and she had razor blades serving as her safety net. On the one hand, she knew that there was no way that she could just tell these people why they were there and what had happened to her. By the same token, she knew they couldn't afford to provoke them badly enough so that Yukari decided to just have Shiro beat her up and strip her of her disguise, or take her frustrations out on Nozomi.

"No big secret there," Hikari finally decided to say, shrugging casually. Knowing that their best chance was to stall for time, and hope that either by some miracle Kodama found them, or that some opportunity to either escape or call out for help presented itself. "I just felt like dressing up, that's all."

"Dressing up, huh?" Yukari murmured, still smiling. Still acting like she had an unbeatable hand. "That's all?" Hikari didn't bother saying anything to this. Not willing to push the situation any further than she safely could. "And why the makeup, hmm? Is there something wrong with that pretty little face of yours, hmm?"

"It's not that pretty," Hikari replied, already struggling for an explanation. "In fact, I…"

"It's acne!" Nozomi piped up, clearly catching on. "She had an acne attack!"

"An acne attack?!" Shiro guffawed, looking directly at the disguised girl. "Oh, come on! Just how dumb do you think we are, anyway?!"

_Do you really want to know? _Hikari wondered, indulging in a bit of internal humor as she studied Yukari. The mastermind behind their abduction wasn't laughing as Shiro was. She wasn't doing anything but sitting there, studying the middle sister with those piercing eyes of hers.

She had to know that time was against her, Hikari realized. As the brains of this duo, Yukari had to realize that every minute that passed before she got what she wanted from them was another minute in which something could wrong, everything from the things that Hikari hoped would happen, to perhaps a dozen different things that would work against them both. But at the same time, the last thing she wanted was to do something abusive to them. If this failed to get her what she wanted and they got away, then the sisters would have tangible evidence of their abduction, something they could potentially use against the two of them. Which came down to a question; how far was Yukari willing to push the situation before she finally gave it up as a bad job and let them go. And how far could Hikari go without setting her off to do something dangerous and very stupid.

All these things passed through Hikari's mind as she watched Yukari…and shivered when the woman just smiled. Her eyes lighting up with cruel inspiration.

"You know, I think I just realized why you're dressed like that," Yukari finally said, nodding with satisfaction.

"You do?" Shiro asked while both Horaki sisters just froze.

"Of course I do. Isn't it obvious?" Yukari demanded playfully. Then she looked predatorily at the disguised girl. "It's because she's trying to lose weight."

"Huh?" Shiro gasped. This time with the sisters echoing him.

"But of course! I mean, look at her! All dressed up that way? Why else would anybody do something like that…except to sweat off a few extra pounds?" Yukari asked incredulously, gesturing at the girl. "Isn't that right, dear?"

Unsure of what Yukari was playing at but not knowing what else to do, Hikari eventually just smiled nervously. "Uh, sure! Right! I mean…what else?"

"I knew it!" Yukari declared, snapping her fingers with a dramatic flourish. "Oh, and all this time, I thought you little things might actually be up to something sneaky." The woman gave a rueful shake of her head. "I guess that shows what I know. Isn't that right, Shiro?"

Clearly in the dark, Shiro rolled his eyes from one side to the other. "Well…whatever you say, Yukes."

"You know…I feel so stupid!" Yukari went on, throwing down of her hands. "Here I am, putting you two through all of this, and all for something so ridiculous." The woman then went on, making a show of shaking her head in dismay. A show that sent another chill rushing down Hikari's spine. "I'm sorry. I really must apologize."

Without a clue as to what Yukari was playing at, but already certain that she wouldn't like it, Hikari just shrugged helplessly. "It's no big deal," she murmured noncommittally. Then, with a faint hope, she asked, "So…does this mean we can go now?"

"What? You mean…you won't even let me make it up to you?" Yukari asked, once again with that wounded pout of hers. When the Horaki sisters just frowned their befuddlement, she once again smiled. "You wanted to lose some weight, right? Well, it just happens that I know the perfect way for you to do that. And it's right…over there."

Frowning as Yukari pointed, the disguised girl followed the outstretched finger with her eyes. What she saw down the way was a large, metal door, with some kind of gauges and controls at its side. "What is it?"

"Oh, it's this simply marvelous device the boys here use to keep loose and trim…called a steam room," Yukari explained. Hikari's sagged as her concerns developed into full-blown fears, fears that grew even larger as the woman grinned eagerly. "I figure…a few minutes in there should help you sweat off some of those ugly pounds. And I bet it works wonders with acne, too."

"A steam room?!" Nozomi gasped, her eyes rounding with horror. Eyes that found her sister's, and expanded her own terror.

Gulping loudly, Hikari gave their captors a crooked smile. Raising her hands in protest, she said, "Uh, that's okay. I mean – you don't have to…"

"But I insist!" Yukari smiled. A smiled that turned into a frown of cruelty as she looked towards her pet idiot. "Shiro! Why don't you help the little thing in?"

"No! You _can't!" _Nozomi shrieked as Shiro moved to pick Hikari up. She grabbed hold of Yukari's arm with her free hand and looked pleadingly at their captor. "The heat! It'll -!"

"It'll do what?" Yukari asked, her words dripping with sweet concern. "Is there something wrong with the poor thing that I should know about? Something…you wish to tell me?"

Letting out a tiny gasp, Nozomi froze up. She didn't move, didn't speak. She just sat there, paralyzed by Yukari's venomous gaze. Until finally, she looked over at her sister, asking with her eyes as to what she should do.

Hikari sat in silence, looking between the two of them, and quickly considered the situation. On the one hand, a trip to the steam room would be potentially disastrous for her. But at the same time, she was certain that Yukari couldn't push too hard, if for no other reason than to keep from putting her own head on the chopping block.

And more to the point, she needed to stall. Needed to buy as much time as possible in order to find some way out of this mess. No matter what it took, if for no other reason than telling these two the truth of her condition could never be an option. So after several seconds of rapidly considering the situation from the various angles, she gave a tiny shake of her head, a shake that left Nozomi to lower her gaze somberly.

With a shrug, Yukari sighed and looked at her boy toy. "Well, in that case…"

Quickly processing the look, Shiro grinned brightly. "Right!" the jock returned. Before she could say a word of protest, Hikari felt his hands about her waist and heaving her up on his shoulder.

"No! Stop it! Let her go!" Nozomi cried out while Hikari was carried away. The middles sister helpless to do anything but watch as Nozomi drifted further away from her. Her terrified face the focus of her entire world.

"Now, now! Don't worry about her! I'm sure a good steam bath is just the thing to help her relax," Yukari cooed poisonously. "And after she's done in there, we can all have a nice little…chat."

"Right!" Shiro grinned as he pulled the door open. "Now in ya go, brat!"

The world spun about Hikari as she flew through the air, before she crashed to the tiled floor with a sickening lurch. Stars and comets passing before her eyes, the middle Horaki sister groaned miserably as she struggled to her knees. Her ears filled with the sound of metal screeching, she looked up just in time to see the door slide close, followed by a clicking noise. Once Hikari had succeeded in struggling her way back to her feet, she staggered forward and crashed against the door. To her dismay but not her surprise, the huge door was solidly locked.

"Say, Yukes? What setting should I put this thing on?" Shiro's muffled voice wondered.

"Well, let's see. Fat can be such a stubborn thing. Not at all cooperative," Yukari murmured thoughtfully. "And with something like that, nothing short of maximum will do the job."

Gasping at this, as well as the muffled cry from Nozomi, Hikari's heart sank even more when she heard Shiro answer, "Heh heh! You got it!" Then another sound was heard, one that had Hikari jump back fearfully. When she looked about, she saw white mist begin flowing into the room. Mist that filled with the room with the most horrible heat…

-------------------------------------------------------------

"There. That should do it," Yukari murmured, pure pleasure creasing her face. "A few minutes should be all it takes to loosen that little tongue of hers."

"Say, Yukes…are you sure about this?" Shiro commented, wearing a look of concern as he came back toward them. "I thought we didn't want to mess them up! I mean, the police…!"

"Of course I'm sure. That's the beauty of it," Yukari grinned in that calculated fashion of hers. "Torn up clothes, bruises, scrapes and scratches, that's the kind of thing that leads to trouble," she explained carelessly. Then she directed a knowing smile at the other Horaki sister. "But little girls do all kinds of stupid things. Especially where their figures are concerned."

"Hikari doesn't," Nozomi gritted, feeling tears welling up in her eyes. "Please, just let her go! She isn't going to tell you anything, so why -?!"

"Oh, I'm sure she'll talk, sooner or later," Yukari broke in. "After all, there's nothing quite like a steam bath to leave a person feeling mellow…talkative." Then she leaned in and looked that much more intently at the little girl. "And I'm sure it'll work wonders on her face as well."

"Her face?" Shiro wondered, even as the full impact of what was happening slammed into Nozomi.

"Why sure. All that steam should do a simply marvelous job of cleaning up her face," Yukari beamed brightly. "And I have to admit that I'm looking forward to getting a good look at her." She then returned her attention to Nozomi, her eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. "Besides, all that makeup isn't good for acne, anyway."

Yukari began to chuckle beneath her breath. A low, cruel sound that began to eat away at Nozomi's hopes as the little girl turned her gaze towards the steam room that held her sister captive. All too capable of imagining the pain and misery Hikari was being forced to endure at that very moment.

------------------------------------------------------

_And I used to think that a steam bath might be nice?! _Hikari grimaced, sweat pouring from every square millimeter of skin she possessed.

The Horaki family matriarch could barely see her hand in front of her face. Though it had only been just over a minute since the heated vapors had begun flowing in, they had already filled the steam room and Hikari's eyes, leaving her sweltering within its cruel embrace. Every breath she took filled her lungs with heated water, and her disguise was already soaked through. She had already shed her hood, letting her blazingly red hair spill out in matted clumps, but it didn't help. Nothing she could think of could ever have helped.

_I didn't think it would be this bad! _Hikari thought woefully as she felt at the door. Desperate to find any weakness, any way of forcing it back open. But no matter how she pushed against it, no matter how hard she pulled on the handle, it refused to budge so much as an inch for her. _I…I have to get out of here! I can't take this much longer!_

Her breaths coming out in ragged heaves, Hikari winced as her eyes were repeatedly stung with sweat. Raising her forearm, she groaned as she mopped off her brow, only to wince as even more salty liquid fell into her eyes. Blinking her eyes rapidly, trying to clear them, Hikari was once again gazing at the door that held her captive…and her own arm.

Unable to even think, Hikari just stood there, staring at the sleeve of her sweatshirt. A sleeve that was stained with sweat…and makeup. She stood there, and studied her arm, until she finally pulled back her sleeve, and examined herself. At the green skin that marked the change that she had undergone.

_Of course…_ Hikari thought slowly, her mind going numb at the realization. _I'd almost forgotten, but…maybe there's another way out of this! _With this thought, Hikari's mind blazed into a kind of overdrive, trying to reconstruct everything that had been happening that day. All the changes she had been through, the bizarre capabilities she had displayed.

_Okay, think! What can I do? _Hikari demanded of herself, trying to divert her attention from the present to earlier this morning. To when her life had been thrown into chaos, and the way her new body had responded to that chaos. And how she had fallen through the floor of Nozomi's room, as well as the living room floor and a table, and how she had been able to change back to her own body, if only for a short time.

As disturbing as these memories were, Hikari forced herself to stay calm, to focus on the implications of these events, these hints of her new capabilities. _All right. I was able to move through solid matter…and to change my shape. At least enough to look normal. So…how do I use these to get out of here?!_

After a few moments' consideration, Hikari decided that shape shifting was of no use in this situation. Even if she could somehow squeeze herself through the seams in the between the door and its frame, which she wasn't willing to bet, she doubted that her disguise that could make that trip. And even if she could, all that would do was to put herself in full view of Yukari and Shiro while she was betraying the full extent of her transformation.

_Still…if I can change back to myself…look normal again…_ Hikari frowned in consideration, only to shake her head at this. _No, that won't help. I wasn't able to hold it very long this morning, and if we can't get away before I change back, then that'll be it!_ Then she gave another thought. _But if…I could somehow change into something big and nasty…something to scare them away…_

Hikari then frowned in consideration. Never minding the fact that she didn't know how to change her shape, even forgetting the fact that she had no idea what limitations that power might have, there was still a major problem. Namely, she would still have to go the one and only door the steam room had. Which would have the same result as if she tried to squeeze her way out.

_So that just leaves me with this whole…moving through walls and whatever, _Hikari finally decided, almost choking on the idea. Not only was the concept of doing something like that so impossible, so _alien _for her that it bordered on utter lunacy, but with it came a thousand different little fears. Was she even capable of doing it of her own will, and even if she did, what would happen then? Would she wander into a room full of people, would she start to fall until she sank to the very center of the earth, would she become trapped within a wall and slowly suffocate, would she…?

Wincing at this torrent of horrors, Hikari brought both her hands to her hand. _Stop it, stop it, just stop it!_ she screamed at herself. _You don't have any choice, remember?! If this damned steam doesn't cook you into submission, sooner or later, those creeps out there will open this thing up and see how you look without any war paint!_ She then backed up statement by running her hand along her cheek, and was rewarded by a large streak of overcooked makeup that was already dripping to the floor. And although she didn't have a mirror, Hikari could easily guess what her face looked like.

_You see that? _Hikari told herself, forcing herself to focus on the hand in question. _Well, unless you want to land on every tabloid on the planet, you better find a way to make this crazy body of yours do what you want it to, and fast!_

This image all the incentive she needed, Hikari looked about, trying to plan her next move. While she hadn't been able to make much sense of the layout while Shiro had carried her there, she figured that the best way to go would the back way, simply because the sides had too great a chance of forcing her back to the locker room, and she wasn't ready for that. Not just yet.

Placing her hands against the tiled wall, Hikari felt at it. It seemed depressingly solid, especially in the face of the fact that what she was planning to do seemed utterly impossible. Something that felt like it was out of a dream, rather than had actually happened.

_But it _did _happen! You know that! Nozomi and Kodama, they both mentioned it, remember? _Hikari told herself as she felt against the wall. _All you have to do is find some way to make it happen again! _Drawing back her hand, Hikari studied it before returning her eyes to the wall, and then back again. Then she remembered what had happened before, when she had changed shapes beneath her blankets. How she had pictured herself in her normal body. _So maybe…if I concentrate on being less dense, on being ghostlike…would that do it?_

The notion seemed impossible to Hikari. Completely ludicrous. But then another drop of sweat in her face, another weak breath as she realized that her strength was continuing to fail within this chamber of liquid heat, and she realized that she had no other choice.

Narrowing her eyes in concentration, she gazed at her hand. Focused on it becoming lest substantial, picturing it be able to move through the wall before her like it was simple air. Breathing as evenly as she could, she slowly moved her hand towards the wall, awaiting the touch of the moist tiles…only to gasp as her forearm passed through without resistance.

"Whoa!" Hikari gasped, her face falling in shock as she looked at her arm, already halfway into the wall. Pulling it out as if she had been burned, she then held it up to her face and studied it. It looked the same; no sign of burns or injuries or anything of that nature.

Frowning, Hikari once again tried. Like before, her flesh met with no resistance, and she pushed it even further in. She encountered no problem until her sleeve met with the wall. Unlike her body, it stopped at the wall, and began running up her arm.

_Great. It looks like I won't be able to bring my disguise with me, _Hikari thought, recalling this happening before. How she had left her pajamas in Nozomi's room when she had fallen through the floor. Shaking her head disgustedly at this very real limitation, the green girl turned and looked at the room. A room that was becoming more and more unbearable with each passing second. _I guess I'll just have to deal with that later! Unless I want the bitch and bozo to catch me without my face on!_

Clenching her fists and sucking in breath after nervous breath, Hikari stepped back and forth, gathering up the courage to take the plunge. Finally, she focused on making herself as insubstantial as possible, on passing right through the wall before her, just before she leapt at it.

The instant she slammed into the wall, Hikari felt her clothes fall away…just before she found herself effectively blinded. Her eyes could still see, but it was sight that was so thoroughly distorted that she couldn't make process the information her eyes were providing. Adding to this was the fact that she couldn't make sense of up and down anymore, couldn't feel any currents of air, couldn't tell which way she was going, or anything of that nature.

Just as suddenly as Hikari was immersed in this madness, she was free of it. Once again light filled her eyes, she felt air against her skin. And to her delight, it was cool, clean air. Not even a trace of the steam that had been slowly cooking her alive.

_I…I did it!_ Hikari grinned, unable to help herself. Her arms waving in the air, the mutated girl felt a wave of exultation overtake her. Not only was free of the cursed steam, but she had made the transition without incident. None of the horrid worst-case scenarios she had envisioned for herself had occurred. Instead, moving through the wall had been almost ridiculously easy. And perhaps best of all, the gym was empty. Nobody was there to catch her, undisguised and unclothed.

_Okay, that's one problem down. Now to figure out where I am, _Hikari told herself as she looked about. It wasn't long before she saw that she was in what could only have been a gym. _Of course. What else would be right next to the guys' locker room? _she asked herself, almost laughing at her own stupidity. _Okay, now, let's see…where is the locker room from here?_

Hikari once again began looking about, surveying her surroundings. A quick look to her left was all it took for her to find what she was looking for. _Bingo! _the green-skinned girl thought with delight as she spotted the sign that marked the door that she was looking for. Only to frown in confusion as she studied its position.

_Wait a minute. That's pretty low to the ground, _Hikari frowned as she looked more closely at the sign. Only to frown even more as she realized that the sign wasn't the only problem. The way her surroundings looked to her, the perspective was completely wrong. _Unless…_ Hikari thought with widening eyes, eyes she quickly directed down at the floor. A floor that was a good five to six below her feet.

"_What the -!?" _Hikari screeched, her mind going completely empty. At which point whatever force that was holding her up decided to stop working, and she wound up crashing to the floor.

Stunned by both realization and the throbbing pain that was now shooting through her body, Hikari groaned miserably as she sat herself up. Giving a quick shake of her head to clear it, the mutated girl was soon struggling to her feet, once again desperate to get a handle on her situation.

_What the…what was…?! _Hikari thought, unable to comprehend what had happened. Then she once again shook her head, this time to free of it errant thoughts. _Damn, I don't have time for this! Any second now, those two creeps could either open up the steam room or decide to hurt Nozomi! And I have to do something! I have to _stop _them!_

Though her body was badly shaken, felt a certain amount of strain from having done what she had done, and her nerves rattled beyond anything Hikari could have ever imagined, the picture of her sister in the clutches of that maniac Yukari was enough to help her find her feet again. Feeling the cool wood beneath her feet, the mutated girl moved closer to the door, and cracked it open. As carefully as she could, she slowly craned her head in, trying to catch a glimpse of either her abductors or her sister. She saw nothing of them.

However, she could still feel that strange sensation she now associated with Yukari. That air of cruelty was like a scent guiding her. Completely unmistakable. And then Hikari heard something that clinched it for her. Shiro's voice echoing forth, asking, "So much longer do you think the brat's gonna need to cook before she finally gives up?"

"Don't know," Yukari replied easily. "To be honest, I'd have thought that the little thing would have been begging for mercy by now."

"No way! Not my sister!" piped up Nozomi.

While Hikari was smiling at her sibling's enthusiasm, Shiro was saying, "Hey, I'm not liking this! What if she's fainted in there?! Or maybe she's -?!"

"Please! More likely the little thing is faking it. Hoping we'll open up before she's…well done," Yukari decided. There was a pause before she finally said, "Give it another minute or so, then check on her."

_Another minute, _Hikari thought worriedly as she eased her way all the way through the door and carefully closed it behind her. She had roughly sixty seconds in which to take action, and she knew that she would have to make her next move count. And she already knew what that move would be. What it would _have _to be.

_Okay, I gotta think! Gotta think of something! _Hikari thought rapidly, knowing that she had to think of something that would scare or at least startle her adversaries into leaving the room. Something that would give her time to get Nozomi out of there, as well as retrieve her clothes without an audience. _Something scary, something scary…!_

Unfortunately for Hikari, she soon found herself hard-pressed to think of something that would do the job. About the only frightening things she could think of were monsters and aliens straight from horror movies, and in all honesty, she never found them very frightening to begin with. Not only did she not approve of slasher films on principle, but she also considered them as fodder for the intellectually deprived.

_Besides, they'd probably think it was just some kid in a costume. Which wouldn't be that far off, _Hikari frowned, giving a quick shake of her head. _No, that won't do the job! But what else is there?!_

Precious seconds ticked away, seconds that left Hikari in a nervous sweat as she culled up one monstrous image after another, only to banish it back to the depths of her mind. A mental search that was interrupted when Yukari's voice penetrated her thoughts. "This is taking too long, Shiro," the woman grumbled unhappily. "Why don't you knock on the door, see if she's still home."

_Aw, damn!_ Hikari swore inwardly, bringing her hands to her temples. _Gotta think! Something scary, something scary, something scary -!_

At the very moment, an image occurred to Hikari. An image of something that had truly frightened her, of something other than some movie horror. A being that she herself had seen, on the day an Angel had invaded Tokyo-3.

The sun had been setting on the city that was her home, and Hikari had been going to school, acting on what she viewed as being part of her duties as class representative. She had heard several of the boys in her class talking about how they were planning on sneaking back up to the roof of their school later that day so they could catch sight of the massive Evangelions as they set forth to battle the latest Angel. And Hikari, knowing full well the potential of them coming to harm out there, had decided to walk to the school, and make sure they got out of there before any combat began.

So there Hikari had been walking along the streets with the immense form of the Angel off in the distance, when the earth began to tremble. And the pigtailed matron, startled by the sound and the shock, had looked about wildly in search for its source, and found it. A sight that was huge and terrible and emptied her mind of all thoughts.

It was huge. Gigantic beyond Hikari's ability to wrap her mind around it. A figure with armored skin that was shaded dark purple, with a horn sprouting from its head. And the hideous face the thing possessed, the feel of the very air coming off that hideous monster of humanity's creation…

Instantly seizing on the mental image, Hikari concentrated on it. Focusing on it as her own body. Picturing that dangerously powerful body as her own, green shifting to purple, flesh changing to armor, her eyes changing from red to white. And to her surprise, she felt her form immediately begin to change.

_Of course, I have no idea if this is even going to work the way I want! _Hikari thought ruefully, despite the fact that her body continued to flow about mercurially. _I just hope that whatever I'm turning into, it looks freaky enough to do the job!_ Just as this thought ran its course, the girl felt something that she had not expected. A minor pain as her head clonked into something.

"Huh?!" Hikari grumbled aloud. Or at least, that was what she had tried to say. Instead, what came out of her throat was a guttural, metallic screech. One that startled her into trying to stand straight, only to wind up crashing her head again. Completely confused, she quickly knelt back down, and looked for whatever obstruction she was bonking into.

The ceiling. Her mouth falling open, Hikari stared at a ceiling that had once been several feet overhead, and was now an inch away. Maybe even less.

While Hikari was trying to figure out what happened and how much she had changed, another voice intruded. "Hey, what was that? Is there somebody there?!" came Shiro's loud voice, his equally loud footsteps echoing to the mutated girl's ears. She looked back down just in time to see the jock in question stride confidently into view. "Whoever you are, you better get out of here, if you know what's good for…"

Her mouth popping open, Hikari could only stand there, watching as Shiro looked up at her. To her astonishment, the jock looked smaller to her. Much smaller. And even more surprising, his once swaggering expression fell into one of astonished terror. The color faded from his features, leaving his face a ghostly white, even as eyes and mouth popped wide open.

"Ahhhhhhhh!!!!" Shiro finally screamed, his body going rigid.

"Ahhhhhhhh!!!!" Hikari screeched in response. A sound that sounded like various shards of metal scraping against each other, and one that made Shiro scream that much more.

----------------------------------------------------

"_Aahh! Ahhh!! AHHHHHHHHH!!!!"_

"Shiro, what are you doing?!" Yukari asked impatiently as Nozomi cringed in terror. "Who or what is in there?! And what the hell is that -?!"

The only answer Yukari got was Shiro running back into sight, looking as if the very hordes of hell were dogging his heels. A high-pitched keening of terror his only answer as he shot past them both. Once the jock was gone from sight, Yukari and Nozomi instinctively looked at each other, both their faces blank before they looked back in the direction the jock had come from. Just in time to see the thing that had terrified him stomp into view…and send their minds into chaos.

It was huge. Ten feet tall if it was an inch. So massive that it was forced to hunch over just to get into the locker room proper. Its appearance was humanoid, but seem distorted. Alien. Its body was covered in purple and green armor, and as for its face…

Nozomi could feel that hideous face burning into her young mind for all eternity. Two baleful yellow eyes leered from slits in its face, a single horn sprouted from the monster's forehead, and its mouth hung open, revealing hideous, metallic teeth. And it was moving, scrambling towards them, sometimes on its feet, and others on all fours.

"_Ahhhhhhhh!!!!"_ Nozomi screamed, falling off the bench.

"_Ahhhhhhhh!!!!"_ Yukari agreed. The cruel woman not wasting any further breath as she sprang from the bench and ran in the general direction Shiro had left in.

Do her best to recover so that she could follow her abductor's example, the youngest Horaki propped herself up just in time to see the monster stagger up to where she had crashed to the floor. _"Nozomi…!" _the thing muttered, its horrendous voice sending the little girl scooting back on the floor. _"Arrre yooou all riiight…?"_

"_Get away from me!!!!" _Nozomi screamed in response, scooting backwards on her butt. The monster than reached out and took hold of her shoulder, causing the girl to shield her face with her forearms. _"No! Please don't kill me!!"_

"_Nozoomi, iit's ookay!"_ the monster rasped out, leveling its face so that it could look directly at her. _"Iit's mee! Hiikari!!"_

This final word penetrating Nozomi's consciousness, the little girl went rigid with surprise. Lowering her arms slightly, she could only sit there and watch as the monster gasped in surprise…and began to change. Its entire body began to ripple like liquid, the purple lightening into a green as the mercurial flesh swirled about, becoming smaller and softer. Until at last, it returned to the green-skinned entity that her sister had become this morning.

As Nozomi looked at Hikari's smiling face, so familiar despite the transformation, the little girl instantly leapt up and wrapped her arms about her. _"Sister!!" _Nozomi squealed happily, pressing her cheek to Hikari's own. Then she pulled back and stared at her sibling. "But…how'd you do that?! And…where are your _clothes?!"_

"I kinda had to leave them behind," Hikari grumbled, rolling her crimson eyes. "C'mon! We have to get out of here before those two come back!" At this, she started helping Nozomi to her feet, then she looked over towards the steam room. "We better get my clothes, though. We can't leave anything behind!"

"Right!" Nozomi agreed as Hikari started towards the dreaded steam room. Following close behind, she watched as her mutated sibling worked the controls, turning off the steam and heat. Once this was done, Hikari unlocked and pulled the door open. She then visibly winced as a wave of steam poured out from the door.

"Ugh!" Hikari moaned, backing away from the heated mist.

Immediately seeing the problem, Nozomi came forward. "Don't worry, I'll get them!" she told her, holding up her hands to the green girl before darting into the room that had been Hikari's prison before she could protest. With the steam fading away, it didn't take Nozomi long before she found the pile of sodden fabric against the far wall. Hefting the pile up, the youngest Horaki quickly dashed back and looked her sister in the face.

"Here's your clothes, sister," she murmured apologetically. When Hikari groaned unhappily, Nozomi shrugged in a sheepish manner. "I don't think you'll be able to wear them for a while, though."

"Great. Just great," Hikari muttered, looking down at herself.

"What's wrong?" Nozomi asked, genuinely confused by this. "It looks like you've figured out how to do the shape-changing bit! So what's…?"

"It's like happened before. I just couldn't…hold the change any longer!" Hikari explained, shaking her head ruefully. "And the way I'm feeling now…I don't think I can do that again."

"Then what are you going to do?" Nozomi wondered, looking down at the misshapen lump of cloth in her hands.

Hikari frowned in thought for a moment, then looked at Nozomi with the air of command which she always wore in the house. "Do you have your cell phone with you?" she asked, to which Nozomi promptly nodded. "Then call Kodama! Let her know where we are, and ask if there's any place close by where we can meet her!"

"Okay!" Nozomi nodded. Reaching into her pocket, the little girl brought forth her cell, but then she frowned intently. "But what about you? If you can't change for very long, then how…?"

This had Hikari frowning herself. "I don't know. I know I don't have enough energy to try another big change like that," she admitted, looking down at her transformed self. Then her eyes narrowed with thought. "But…maybe…"

"Maybe what?" Nozomi asked. Hikari didn't answer this. Instead, she closed her eyes in concentration, and once again, her body rippled. Small patches of flesh stretched out from her skin, shifting from green to red as they covered her breasts and nether regions. Her legs from the thighs down also shifted, and soon it looked like Hikari was wearing a set of red thigh-high boots and a swimsuit with a diamond-shaped hole revealing her abdomen.

As Nozomi looked on in awe, Hikari opened her eyes and studied the results. "Well, this doesn't feel too bad. I think I can hold this without too much trouble," she finally stated. "And at least I don't _look _naked." Apparently satisfied with this, the green girl looked at her sister, only to frown when she saw Nozomi smiling deeply at her. "What? What is it?"

"You know something, sister?" Nozomi grinned, a few snickers escaping her lips. "I bet a cape would look great with that!"

Rolling her eyes at this, Hikari let go an irritated growl before she said, "We don't have time for this, Nozomi! Just make the call before those two come back and cause even _more _trouble!"

------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Notes: Ugh. The chapters just keep getting longer, and that much harder to crank out. Still, I hope everyone will read and review. And maybe check out my other stories.

Now, I'm sure that people who are familiar with J'onn Jon'zz's powers will be confused by Hikari's frequent power failures. Well, I won't get it into now, but I will tell you that there is a very valid reason for why she's having so much trouble right now. And not just because she's inexperienced with them.

Mike313, this is where I once again have to admit that I am not the most familiar with DC characters and their powers. That's one of the reasons I decided on Martian Manhunter for Hikari, simply because his powers have been so varied and so rewritten that it leaves me with a fair amount of room to play with, including his weaknesses. But given the fact that Tokyo-3's temperatures regularly hit the eighties and nineties, and Hikari was wearing sweats for her disguise, it wouldn't take much time for her to start cooking.

animefan29, what can I say? When you're right, you're right! Hikari's going to be finding out a lot about herself before she gets done with this mess. And I have to admit, I like the idea of some comedy relief in my stories.

And speaking of which…

Omake

"_Aahh! Ahhh!! AHHHHHHHHH!!!!"_

"Shiro, what are you doing?!" Yukari asked impatiently as Nozomi cringed in terror. "Who or what is in there?! And what the hell is that -?!"

The only answer Yukari got was Shiro running back into sight, looking as if the very hordes of hell were dogging his heels. A high-pitched keening of terror his only answer as he shot past them both. Once the jock was gone from sight, Yukari and Nozomi instinctively looked at each other, both their faces blank before they looked back in the direction the jock had come from. Just in time to see the thing that had terrified him stomp into view…and send their minds into chaos.

"She-Hulk _smash!!"_ roared a gigantic, green woman that stomped her way into the locker room. The immense nude female stomped her way up to Yukari, who was jabbering in fear. Without hesitation, the monster reared back an enormous green fist, and sent it flying straight into the cruel woman's face.

"Oh, shit!" Yukari cried out as she was sent flying through the ceiling. Her flight leaving a large, gaping hole behind. Something that resulted in a vicious chuckle erupting from the green woman's throat.

As soon as she recovered, Nozomi gave her rescuer a look of confusion. "Sister, what do you think you're _doing?!" _she demanded. "This is a _DC _Superwoman story! You're not supposed to be going around as She-Hulk!"

"Hey, gimme a break, Nozomi!" Hikari grumbled, a big smile plastered on her face. "I was just having a little fun!" Then the gamma mutated girl placed her hands to her shapely hips and added, "And considering the pounding my SOE counterpart got from She-Hulk in "Emerald Fury", I thought it might be interesting to give this kind of muscle a try myself."

"Uh-huh," Nozomi grumbled, rolling her eyes.

"And besides, who wouldn't love to have a body like this?" Hikari asked, flexing a mountainous muscle and smiling at the result. "Oh, yeah…"

"I don't believe this! Why do you all get to have all the fun being a superwoman?!" Nozomi whined grumpily. "Me and Kodama never even got to appear in the show!"


	5. Home Again

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to DC Comics or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Chapter 5: Home Again

"I can't believe this is happening…" Kodama moaned, shaking her head miserably as Professor Ousugi drove from parking lot to parking lot. Combing the massive campus in search of a single car amongst hundreds. One possible clue as to where her family had been taken. "What was I even thinking, senseii?! I never should have left them alone!"

"Uh, no offense, Kodama. I perfectly understand that you're worried about your sisters. The fact is, so am I," Professor Ousugi responded with an edge of irritation, his hands tensing about his steering wheel. "But remember when I told you earlier that self-recriminations aren't going to help? Well, it helps even less when you go on and on about it when you're supposed to be looking."

Her entire body wincing with embarrassment, Kodama shook her head miserably. "I'm sorry, sensei, but…it's been half an hour already, and we still haven't found them! They could be anywhere by now!"

"What? Are you telling me that you've been watching the clock when you should be searching for your sisters?" Ousugi remarked in a mock-scolding voice. Raising an eyebrow at his pupil, he added, "No wonder we haven't made much progress!" A grunt of pure disgust escaped her lips at this declaration, to which the professor raised a hand in surrender. "I know, I'm sorry! I'm not saying that you shouldn't worry! But letting your worries get in the way of doing what you have to do isn't going to help us find your sisters."

"I know, I know," Kodama muttered, turning her eyes back out the window. Seeing every make and model of car except the one she was looking. "But…they could be anywhere! And the instant Yukari decides to pull of Hikari's disguise -!"

"You know, I remember hearing someone say that the best thing to expect when danger is imminent…is nothing. Because if you consider either victory or defeat, it keeps you from focusing on what you need to do in order to win the day," Ousugi broke in. Speaking as if it weren't his career that could be up in smoke by the end of the day. "And while I have absolutely no idea who said that, I think you're doing an excellent job of proving his case. Don't you?"

Allowing her head to thunk against the window, Kodama sighed despairingly before saying, "You're right, sensei. I just…can't help it. If anything happens to Hikari because of me -!"

"Be patient, my dear Kodama. It truly is a sterling virtue," Ousugi informed her sagely. Then in a far wearier voice, he added, "Of course, it would help if I had a lot more of it…"

The sudden shift from wise teacher to put-upon wage slave came at Kodama from left field and jolted her upright. Shooting an incredulous glance at her teacher, the eldest Horaki sister then rolled her eyes and did her best to hide the smile Ousugi's comment inspired. "Same here," she muttered. Looking at the cars moving past and still not seeing the one they were looking for, she was about to say something else when her cell phone rang.

Practically jumping clear through the car roof, as did her heartbeat, Kodama required a couple seconds to recover her wits. Ousugi, having pressed down harder on the accelerator because of the sudden jolt, needed a few seconds more to get the car back under control before both he and his student looked down at the pants pocket that held the offending cell phone.

"Kodama, how many times do I have to tell you? _Please _keep that damned thing on 'vibrate'!" Ousugi pleaded as he focused his attention on not turning any of the students walking about the area into an okonomiyaki.

Ignoring him, Kodama fished out her cell phone and flipped it open. Checking the Caller ID, she practically sagged in relief. "It's Nozomi!" she got out, the weight of the world falling away from her shoulders. "They must've gotten away!"

"Well, either that, or it's Yukari with her blackmail demands," Ousugi commented. When Kodama shot him a look of patent alarm, he groaned before adding, "But then again…what do I know?"

Grumbling her aggravation over her sensei's loose lips, Kodama hit the receive button. "Hello?!"

"Kodama! Can you hear me?!" asked the voice on the other end.

"Nozomi!" Kodama gasped, now doubly relieved. "Where are you?! Is Hikari with you?!"

"Yeah, sister's right here!" Nozomi confirmed hurriedly. "This crazy lady and her boyfriend grabbed us from the arcade, and -!"

"I know. We figured out that much ourselves," Kodama informed her sibling. Anticipating Nozomi's question, she went on. "Listen, I've got sensei with me. We'll come and pick you up, but you have to tell me where you are!"

"Um…I'm not exactly sure _where_ we are, actually," Nozomi admitted. While Kodama's jaw was plummeting to the floor, the youngest Horaki quickly explained what had happened over the course of their abduction. "So we got out of the gym, but we couldn't figure out where to go next! And with sister…you know! So we found this, uh…well, sister says it must be one of the teacher's break rooms, and -!"

"A break room?!" Kodama snapped, her eyes turning into saucers. Ignoring the questioning look given her by Professor Ousugi, the eldest Horaki nearly shouted, "Nozomi, are you _crazy?!_ If someone comes in there -!"

"It was the only place we could find!" Nozomi whined in protest. "We had to get out of sight as fast as we could! Hikari's disguise is a mess, and she lost all her makeup! We didn't have any choice!"

"Okay, okay! I get the idea!" Kodama retorted. Doing her best to keep this new information from causing her fears to skyrocket to new levels of terror, the eldest Horaki did her best to act calm and composed. To think this out in a scientific manner. "Alright. Tell me, can you see anything that can tell us where you are? A room number? A sign? Anything?"

There was a definite pause at this, resulting in a silence that didn't do Kodama's few remaining nerves any favor. "Well…" Nozomi began hesitantly. "I'll go peek out the door. Maybe I can spot something."

"Right. Good idea," Kodama nodded, doing her best to heed her teacher's advice and not think about all the things that could go wrong. A list that grew exponentially ever second Nozomi failed to report.

Fortunately for Kodama's sanity, her youngest sister was nothing if not quick. "Okay, uh…" Nozomi murmured over the line. "There's a hallway right across from me with a lot of windows, and…I see a door with a name on it! It's a little far, but…I think it says…Professor Tenkawa…"

"Okay, Nozomi, good work," Kodama told her before looking at Ousugi. "Nozomi says she's near the office of someone named Tenkawa! Do you know him?"

"Tenkawa? Yes, I do! A fine man, if a little lacking in self-confidence!" Ousugi commented absent-mindedly. "And she says she's near his office?"

"Right. In a break room," Kodama confirmed.

"Okay! If that's the case, then I know exactly where they are!" Ousugi beamed, breaking into a hairpin turn. As Kodama sprawled against the door, the professor ordered, "Tell the girls to stay put, Kodama. We'll be there as soon as possible!"

"Uh, right!" Kodama returned as she sat back up and made doubly certain her seatbelt was securely fastened. "But, sensei…could you at least try and get us there in one piece?!"

"Aw, c'mon, Kodama!" Ousugi grinned broadly as he sent several students running for their lives. "Where's your sense of drama?"

* * *

"So Kodama's on her way?" Hikari asked as Nozomi closed up her cell phone.

"That's right! She and the professor are on their way right now!" Nozomi confirmed brightly. "They should be here any minute!"

"Right," Hikari nodded, her crimson eyes narrowed in thought. Then she looked about the tiny room they had hidden away in. A room in which contained absolutely nothing in the way of hiding places, and was lacking even a lock on the door. "I just hope they get here before anybody else does."

Sighing her agreement, Nozomi looked at the stunning green creature her sister had become. "Yeah, I know," she muttered. "Say…what do you think happened to those two creeps, anyway?"

"I don't know. And right now, I really don't care," Hikari grumbled, all the things that had gone wrong that day showing clearly on her transformed face. "I'm more concerned about what we'll do if somebody finds us before Kodama and the professor do."

"But…what can we do?" Nozomi wondered nervously. "If you couldn't hold your shape before…"

"Yeah, I know," Hikari grumbled. "I guess…all we can do right now it wait."

Shooting her sister a sympathetic smile, Nozomi then looked off to the side. "I guess things could be worse," she decided, eyeing Hikari impishly. "At least you were able to get something to drink."

"Uh, yeah," Hikari agreed, blushing a deeper shade of green as she looked in the same direction as her sister. At the four cola bottles she had eagerly bought and emptied shortly after they had found this small haven. "Listen, we better get this place cleaned up. Assuming we can get out of here without being noticed, I don't want anybody spotting the mess we made here." Eyeing the sodden mess that was her clothes, as well as the soaked carpeting that lay beneath, Hikari added, "We've got enough trouble with the mess we've already got. I don't want to take a chance on attracting any more attention."

"And you don't want Kodama nagging you any more about what you've been eating, right?" Nozomi needled gladly. Thinking of all the times Hikari had come down on her for not eating her vegetables, for over-indulging in sweets. Only to be changed into an even bigger junk food junkie than Nozomi could have ever dreamed of being. The image of her being nagged by their elder sister the icing on this particular cake.

Slowly closing her eyes as veins throbbed about her forehead, Hikari brought her hand to her face as she muttered, "Nozomi…"

"Yes, sister?"

"Please. Shut. Up," Hikari groaned wearily. "I am having a _very _bad day…"

* * *

"Shiro!" Yukari cried out as she ran after her accomplice. "You damned idiot! Get back here already!"

Shiro didn't listen. He just kept running in a blind panic, what little mind he possessed completely overwhelmed by his encounter with the purple monstrosity that had chased the both of them out of the locker room. And despite the fact that Yukari couldn't honestly blame him for such a thing, mainly because it would mean condemning herself as well, they had already left the thing behind. So this was not a time to be running.

This was a time to evaluate the situation, to try and salvage whatever she could from a bad situation. Before the chance to get revenge on that slut Kodama was completely lost.

However, before Yukari could do any of that, she had to reign in her idiot boy-toy and run a few things through his brain. And since his body possessed all the speed and strength that had bypassed his head, not only was Shiro maintaining his lead, but he showed no signs of tiring. While Yukari could feel her lungs burning, her legs protesting.

Knowing that she didn't have much time to stop the dumb lump of muscle before her own shapely legs decided to give out on her, Yukari mustered all of the strength she had remaining, and channeled it directly to her lungs. _"Shiro, you damned idiot! Stop this instant!!"_

At first, Yukari wasn't certain if he had heard even this loudest of shrieks. But after a few seconds of plowing through the tiny passages that led into his skull, her voice echoed about in his so-called mind, overwhelming all other mental processes, including knocking out the fear that had kept him running. Her bed warmer then stumbled to a halt before looking about in confusion.

"Huh?" Shiro got out as he turned about to face his mistress. "What the – what happened to the monster?"

"Who cares about that thing?!" Yukari snarled. Marching up to the jock, she rewarded him with a well-deserved bop over the head. "You idiot! Haven't you figured it out yet?!"

"Eh? Figured what out?" Shiro wondered, his vapid expression betraying just how lost he was.

"Isn't it obvious?!" Yukari demanded, never ceasing to be amazed at what a complete Neanderthal Shiro could be. "Some ugly freak shows up at the locker room at the exact time we're there?! It chases us out of there, but doesn't _keep _coming after us?!"

The wheels in his mind visibly straining, Shiro eventually got out, "So…you think that thing was just after that girl? And not us?"

"No, you idiot! That thing was just a diversion! Something to keep us busy!" Yukari growled, her ire forcing Shiro to recoil. Utterly disgusted with the situation in general, the lithe brunette turned on her heel, placing her hands to her hips. "Try using that pathetic little lump you call a brain for once! That so-called 'monster' is obviously something that slut Kodama whipped up to keep us busy."

"Huh? Kodama…made that thing?" Shiro got out, scratching his head as he tried to follow Yukari's impeccable logic.

"Of _course_ she did, moron!" Yukari snarled, utterly furious at having to explain something so perfectly obvious. "That bitch with the makeup must've called Kodama and told her where they were! And then that crafty slut sends that thing in to keep us distracted!"

"Uh, I don't know about that, Yukes…" Shiro muttered with a frown. "How could Kodama make something that freaky-looking?"

"With a scheming bitch like her, _anything_ is possible," Yukari asserted vehemently. "In fact, I'd anything that that thing is the reason she dragged her sisters out here! She must be up to something, and she needs some extra hands to make it happen!"

"Well…if you say so…" Shiro muttered, his face knotted with confusion. "Still…it seems pretty crazy, if you ask me."

Not even bothering to justify this comment with a glare, Yukari growled acidly, "Then it's a good thing I didn't bother asking you, isn't it?" Giving these words the needed time to sink in, she began pacing about like a caged animal. "Obviously, whatever Kodama's got cooking, it's big. Big enough that she had to risk using that thing to try and scare us off. And thanks to you running around like a chicken with its useless head cut off, she's probably got her sisters back by now!"

"But…hey! You were running, too!" Shiro pointed out with a measure of indignity.

"That's because you wouldn't listen when I told you to stop, idiot!" Yukari sneered, turning to give her boy-toy the glare of doom. Once she was satisfied that Shiro had been sufficiently cowed, she returned to her mutterings. "But if she thinks I'm going to just sit around and let her get the better of me again, then she's got another think coming to her." Her eyes slitted, she began considering the situation. And no how anyone looked at it, one thing was clear. Kodama was keeping a secret. A secret that she definitely didn't want anyone to get wind of.

And the instant she discovered what that secret was, then she would own Kodama's ass. And make her rue the day she had ever matched wits with Yukari Hanzaki.

* * *

"…extraordinary! This is just absolutely extraordinary!" Professor Ousugi rambled as he and the Horaki sisters finally arrived at his lab. His eyes glued to Hikari as he gave voice to the possibilities his mind was conjuring up. "You mean that you were actually able to move through solid matter?! And float in the air and change your appearance?!"

"She sure did!" Nozomi confirmed even as Kodama shut the doors and made doubly sure that they were securely locked. "She even changed into an Eva! Well, a small one, but still -!"

"Yes, yes! Of course! The conservation of matter and energy would dictate limits to such transformations!" Ousugi muttered absently. "But the fact remains that nothing on Earth has a physiology that is even close to being capable of such feats! What a study of these cells might eventually reveal! And to be able to study them firsthand -!"

"Sensei! Please!" Kodama grumbled as she marched up to her teacher. "In case you've forgotten, this is my sister we're talking about!"

"Uh, excuse me…" Hikari began, standing off to the side as she watched the others move about.

"I'm perfectly aware of that, Kodama!" Ousugi spoke defensively. "But surely you must understand that, in order to discover the extent of Hikari's mutation and how it happened in the first place, we must carry out an extensive physiochemical evaluation of her cellular structure, catalog the various changes, attempt to replicate that process -!"

"Replicate that process?!" Kodama demanded.

"Wait a minute!" Hikari tried again even as Nozomi came up to her side. "What are you…?!"

"Why, yes! Well, on a small scale to begin with, naturally!" Ousugi went on giddily, completely unaware that the object of his interest had said anything. "We must learn everything we possibly can about these cells and their full capabilities! Since they can clearly bond with human cells on a genetic level, their DNA must be fully compatible with our own!"

"Well, yes, I know, but -!" Kodama tried again.

"But – wait, Professor, I -!" Hikari tried again.

"And we must obtain a full understanding of her current physiology as soon as possible!" Ousugi declared, bringing his fist down upon his open palm. "While she doesn't appear to have any problem with Earth's atmospheric conditions for now, we have no idea if that will change, or what vulnerabilities or nutritional requirements she may have now! We have to identify which genomes were affected by the alien DNA, as well as conduct a full workup on her various tissues, and -!"

"Sensei, are you kidding me?!" Kodama demanded, her eyes bulging out of their sockets. "Do you have _any _idea just how long that's going to take?!"

"Don't tell me you're surprised, Kodama! I would have thought that you of all people would understand that scientific analysis is a lengthy process, and demands a great deal of precision!" Ousugi went on. "A study like this could take years, even decades to complete!"

At this declaration, Hikari felt like her heart had stopped. Her face creasing with dread, she took a moment to make sure that she still had a pulse, then took a deep breath for good measure before gasping out, "Decades…?"

"Decades?! Sensei, are you kidding me?!" Kodama demanded. "We can't just lock Hikari up like she was a guinea pig!"

"I have no intention of locking her up!" Ousugi protested, looking very much the picture of a concerned gentleman. "But you can't expect to find all the answers in a single day, my dear!" Then he gave his understudy a boyish grin that obliterated any hint of seriousness. "Besides, can you imagine the possibilities here? If we can unlock the secrets behind these cells, it would be the discovery of the millennia! Forget the Nobel Prize! Every scientist on the planet will be eating out of our hands! We'll -!"

"_Excuse me!!"_ Hikari broke in, invoking the voice of doom that was one of the requirements of becoming matriarch of the Horaki family. A voice that filled the room and drilled straight and true into the consciousness of every person present, stilling their tongues and leaving them helpless to do anything but look at her like children that had been caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

Swiveling her burning red eyes from person to person, Hikari stood there for a time, heaving in breath after breath. Her nerves had already been at their limits after her abduction and subsequent escape, not to mention the long, arduous wait in the break room. But the trip to Ousugi's lab, a trip that had been made through the college hallways, had frayed her patience and mental endurance to their absolute limits. It had been one thing to hide away in a room that just about anybody could walk into; it had been quite another for her to move about as a member of a group out in the open. And even with the professor lending her his lab coat, as well as he and Kodama making a point to keep to her sides, Hikari had been terrified that someone would spot the little green girl they had been escorting. Or perhaps even worse, that they would have the ill fortune to happen upon Yukari and Shiro again, at which they would cry bloody murder and ruin everything for them.

Which was probably why Hikari wasn't in the mood to watch her older sister and her teacher carrying on like children Nozomi's junior. And why she looked at them squarely and announced, "Look, we've gotten pretty lucky so. Nobody found us in the break room, and we got here without a problem. But that doesn't change the fact that we still have serious issues that we have to discuss. Right now."

"Quite right, my dear!" Ousugi nodded agreeably. "Now, if you'll follow me, we'll get right to work on…"

"That's not what I'm talking about!" Hikari broke in. While the other reeled in surprise, looking at her like she had sprouted an extra head while she was at it, the transformed girl grunted before shedding the loaned lab coat. Returning it to the professor, she glared meaningfully at her sibling. "For starters, we need to talk about those creeps who grabbed us."

"Yeah!" Nozomi piped up, emulating Hikari's tone and poise as best as she could. "Why didn't you warn us about them when we ran into that dumb jerk back at the arcade?"

A pained look creasing her visage, Kodama paused before speaking. "I'm sorry, but…I just wasn't thinking," she confessed tenderly. "But Hikari…you were falling apart! I just thought it would be best if you had the chance to rest and relax." The she gave a self-deprecating smile and added, "Besides, Shiro wouldn't do anything that crazy on his own. Yukari's the brains of that pair."

Nodding, Hikari muttered, "We figured that out already. But that doesn't change the fact that they know something's up with us. And while they didn't get a look at me without my disguise – except for when I scared them off – I think we can assume that they'll be trouble in the future."

"No arguments here. Especially when you consider that trouble is Yukari's favorite subject," Ousugi commented wryly. "She could probably teach a college course on maniacal mischief!"

"Right. Which brings me to another problem," Hikari muttered unhappily. "You see, Daddy doesn't know what happened to me, and we can't let him find out. Not unless we don't have any other choice." Looking at the others and watching as they nodded their understanding, she went on. "But…the kind of tests you're talking about…they would take a long time, wouldn't they?"

"To say the least! The preliminary exams would require a couple hours, and then there's the blood workup, an analysis of your internal organs, and…" Trailing off as he noticed the pointed looks he was being subjected to, Ousugi shrugged sheepishly. "Well, I wasn't planning on doing it all in one day! Just enough to get us a better idea of what we're dealing with, and…"

"I know," Hikari smiled wanly. "But we still have to get home before Daddy's gets back from work. And even then, I can't come here every day. Not if we have to worry about the gruesome twosome spying on us."

"That _is _a problem," Ousugi agreed. But then he gave the transformed girl a reassuring smile and clapped her on the shoulder. "However, I've always felt that problems were best dealt with one at a time. So how about we get to work on our more immediate problems, and discuss the rest of them while I do my job?" Then he leaned in a bit closer and gave her a conspiratorial wink. "After all, I can't have you going home so green around the gills, now can I?"

_He's making jokes at a time like this?_ Hikari thought incredulously, raising an eyebrow at the professor. Even the buzzing that had been sounding in her head since that morning fell silent in the wake of her astonishment.

While Hikari was trying to figure out whether the professor was a mad genius or just mad, he waved at the other girls and said, "Well, let's get going! Diddling around here isn't going to get us anywhere, now is it? Especially after all the trouble I went to, securing all the equipment we'll be needing!" Acting like the crier at a carnival, Ousugi motioned for them to follow him, even as he practically shoved Hikari forward. The young girl wondering if this was where her luck had run out.

* * *

"Amazing! Absolutely amazing!" Ousugi grinned as he sat before the computer screen. Looking like a small boy that had just grabbed the brass ring. "Kodama, come over here! Take a look at this cell structure! It's mind-boggling!"

"Coming, sensei!" Kodama replied. The eldest Horaki sister echoing her teacher's enthusiasm as she came up to his side, her face falling in astonishment as she looked as well. "What the…the cell membranes! They're fluctuating so rapidly!"

"Exactly! Expanding and contracting seemingly at random, and yet the cells maintain their integrity! Incredible!" Ousugi explained. "If all of Hikari's body tissues possess the same traits, then it's no wonder she can change shape!" Then he pointed at another part of the screen, and added, "And look at these small nodes just below the surface of the membrane. They look like a form of neuro-receptors."

Kodama studied the screen blankly, until her face lit up with comprehension. "Of course. Each cell must have some way of receiving orders from her nervous system! That's how they're able to coordinate with each other when she changes shapes!"

Congratulating his student for her insight, Ousugi moved onto the next item on his screen continuing their scientific dialogue. All the while Hikari sat on the examining table in the lab the professor had secured for them with Nozomi sitting close by. Trying as hard as she could to ignore the fact that this was _her _body they were discussing, and failing miserably.

"How're you doing, sister?" Nozomi asked as she stood up against the bed.

"Hmm?" Hikari sounded, looking distractedly at her sibling. Then she sighed tiredly before looking back at the two mad scientists she had entrusted her fate to. "Oh…I don't know. I guess I'll be okay. But…"

"And look at these skin samples!" Ousugi broke out exuberantly. "They look like segments of muscle tissue, but they way they mesh with each other -!"

The two girls eyeing the resident scientists, Nozomi turned and gave her sister a sympathetic smile. "Yeah, I feel the same way whenever Daddy takes me to the doctor's."

"I'll bet," Hikari murmured. Then she gave her sister a crooked smile. "Just be glad they didn't find anything nasty in _your _body."

"Uh, right," Nozomi muttered quietly. Before Hikari could do more than narrow her eyes at this, her sister went on. "By the way…are you feeling any better now?"

Taking a moment to ponder, Hikari shifted her head to the side before shrugging. "A little," she finally decided. "I don't feel as tired, but…"

"But what?" Nozomi asked, concern returning to her features.

Shaking her head somewhat, Hikari looked off towards where bits of her flesh and blood were being contemplated. "I don't know…it just feels so…weird, I guess," she finally decided to say. Holding out her hand, she looked down at it as she made a fist, testing the way this new body moved, and felt. "I don't think I'll ever get used to…changing my arm into claw, or…moving my hand through a sheet of metal."

"Kodama's sensei sure looked happy when you did that, though," Nozomi commented.

"I know," Hikari replied, thinking of the professor's exultations over the minor demonstrations she had given him. "But still…I don't even feel…like myself anymore. It's my body, but…it's something different, and…" Relaxing her grip, the transformed girl allowed her hand to fall limp. "It's just…crazy."

"Yeah, I guess so," Nozomi concurred with a nod.

A veil of silence fell between the younger of the Horaki girls, silence that was occasionally poked through by attempts at conversation. But more often than not, they just sat there, watching as Ousugi and Kodama moved about the lab, conducting test after test after test, the noises of confusion and exultation they made over every little discovery serving to unnerve Hikari, more than anything else. As well providing ample fuel for her already overwrought imagination.

At long last, however, Ousugi and Kodama approached the medical table, with the professor sipping a cup of coffee and wearing a supremely satisfied look on his face. "Well, my dears, I'm happy to report that we've made extraordinary progress in researching your condition!" he informed them, shooting a cheerful look at his understudy. "Wouldn't you say so, Kodama?"

"Uh, right, sensei," Kodama agreed, though it was clear she didn't share his enthusiasm.

His heart sinking rapidly at her sister's expression, Hikari looked between the two of them. "What is it?" she murmured, her voice low with dread. "What's wrong?"

Opening his mouth to speak, the professor was cut off when Kodama placed her hand upon his chest. "Sensei," she spoke, a world of pleading in that one word. Blinking his surprise, Ousugi took a step back while his student turned towards her sisters. "Hikari…I'm afraid we've got some…bad news." Her sisters expressing their dread with sharp intakes of air, Kodama lowered her heard before looking directly at her afflicted sibling. "We've…done a comparison between your blood sample and one sensei took from me. And…"

"And what?" Nozomi asked, her eyes tearing. "Is…is she dying?"

"No, no. It's not that!" Kodama replied, holding up her hands and waving away that fear. As Nozomi was looking reassured, the eldest Horaki sister's own scientific mind forced her to add, "At least…there's nothing to indicate anything like that."

"Then…what is it?" Hikari asked.

"Hikari…I'm sorry," Kodama muttered heavily. "But…according to our analysis of you samples…the alien DNA has already completely bonded with your cellular structure. It's overwritten much of your original genetic code with its own."

_No shit,_ was Hikari's mental response to this. What she actually said was, "Yeah, I…I kinda figured that out."

"So what?" Nozomi chimed in. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means we've got even bigger problems than we thought," Kodama declared. "Hikari's cells have all been reconfigured. They don't look human, and they don't act like human cells do, or like the cells of anything that came from earth." Shaking her head wearily, she went on to say. "With all that, I don't know how we could even begin to reverse this transformation. We would have to literally remove the alien DNA from every cell in your body and replace it with normal, human DNA."

Studying her sister's face, Hikari eventually lowered her own head to look down at her mutated body. Still clothed only in straps of red shaped from her own flesh. Moving to look her in the face, Nozomi murmured, "Sister…?"

Meeting Nozomi's gaze with her own, the girl that was no longer human shook her head before looking back up at the others. "I…I understand. To be honest…I think I saw this coming," she finally intoned, her words flat and heavy. "It'd be like trying to pull apart the eggs and flour and milk…after you'd baked a cake."

"There's…more, I'm afraid," Kodama intoned gravely. "The samples we took are still exhibiting certain instabilities as a result of the new genetic coding."

Despite not being very fluent in tech-ese, Hikari knew trouble when she heard it. "What do you mean?"

"I mean your cell structure still hasn't completely adapted to its new genetic code," Kodama explained somberly. "You…you're still changing, Hikari. The cells were continuing to mutate even as we were watching them."

Considering the potential implications of this and not liking them in the least, Hikari looked carefully at her sister. "Then…how long do I have…before…?"

"Before the process is complete?" Kodama intuited. "I don't know. But judging from what I've seen, you've been changing since you were first exposed to the gas. Maybe it just took this long for it to get this far."

"So…this could get worse?" Hikari murmured, her eyes rounding with dread. Dread that deepened when Kodama nodded somberly.

Studying the two sisters, Ousugi rolled his eyes before smiling his usual good-natured smile. "Now, what's with you two? You'd think that this was a wake, the way you're acting!"

"Sensei!" Kodama barked, going from guilt to outrage in less than a second. "What is the _matter_ with you?! My sister has been turned into an _alien,_ for God's sakes! Her body has been _violated, _and it's all because of something _we _did!! Doesn't that mean anything to you?!"

"Of _course _it does!" Ousugi protested, giving his student a wounded look. "Believe me, I am well aware of the situation, Kodama! As well as who is responsible." Still unsatisfied, Kodama glared dangerously at the professor, who decided to turn his gaze towards the subject of his analysis. "But we can't dwell on the negatives of this situation, my dear! We have to keep moving forward! Look at the bright side of things!"

"_What _bright side?! Sensei, _we've turned my sister into a Martian!" _Kodama shrilled, gesturing at Hikari with trembling hands. "What could be worse than _that?!_

"Well, I can certainly think of any number of things that could be worse than that," Ousugi replied matter-of-factly. "That sample could have turned Hikari into a spawning ground for the Grey Goo scenario. Or a monster that infects humans with parasites and bleeds acid. Or perhaps even a giant lizard with radioactive breath and…"

"Let me rephrase that," Kodama growled, cutting off the professor with a raised hand. "What could be worse than this that could actually happen?"

"Are you implying that the possibilities I've mentioned are more realistic that what's happening right now?" Ousugi asked. His rhetorical question laden with mischief, it set Kodama back a moment, allowing him the opportunity to move forward. "But the fact remains that Hikari is alive. And the alien DNA doesn't appear to be malignant. Quite the contrary; it would have to be extraordinarily compatible with human genomes to bond with her so efficiently."

Looking up at the professor, Hikari considered his words for a time. "Maybe," she eventually conceded before looking back down at herself. "But…what do I do now? I can't keep this a secret forever. And if Daddy finds out…"

"Well, I have to admit, that _is _a problem," Ousugi conceded with a thoughtful nod. Then he frowned at her and wondered, "But…maybe it wouldn't so bad. Perhaps if we talked to him, we…"

Managing a sarcastic chuckle, Kodama gave a shake of her head before saying, "Sensei, you don't know our father. If he finds out about this, he'll kill himself. And then he'll come back from the dead and kill the both of us for doing this to her, and he'll probably give Hikari and Nozomi a spanking for not telling him."

Managing a full-body grimace, the professor looked heavenward. "And she calls _my _ideas crazy?" he muttered beneath his breath. Upon realizing that Kodama was about to do something violent to his person, Ousugi took a step backwards before looking back to Hikari. "But…what about your shapeshifting ability? You already said that you changed back to yourself before, so…"

"It's no good," Hikari muttered. "That is…yeah, I change shapes, but…I can't hold a different shape for very long. I get tired out, and…" The she poked at the pseudo-clothing about her frame and added, "In fact…I'm surprised I've been hold this for this long."

"True, but don't forget. Your body is still changing. Adapting to its new DNA," Ousugi reminded her. "So perhaps this new ability will become stronger when your metamorphosis has completed." When Hikari visibly failed to be comforted by this, the professor gave her a wry grin. "Besides, I doubt being on a diet has helped anything." Three sets of blank gazes were turned towards the professor, who looked nervously at the sisters. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

"What are you talking about? I'm not on a diet!" Hikari protested, shame at her recent binging giving greater force to her voice.

"That's for sure!" Nozomi chimed in.

"Really?" Ousugi squeaked out as he turned towards his understudy.

"It's true. In fact, she's been eating like crazy since last night!" Kodama grumbled. Spearing her sister with a look of disapproval, she then asked, "But sensei…what makes you think that Hikari is dieting?"

"Well, her blood sugar levels…they're practically non-existent!" Ousugi protested with a hapless grin. "I did a reading on her blood sample, and it looked as if she hadn't eaten for at least a day or two!"

"A day or…" Hikari began, only to stall out when her mind jammed up. This idea clashing with the reality of her recent consumptions. "But…that's impossible! I haven't been able to stop eating since this morning!"

"That's right!" Nozomi chimed in when Ousugi stared perplexedly at his subject. "She had a package of Oreos and some pizza and soda this morning, then we had some more cola and a couple parfaits at the arcade, and then she had four colas while we were in that break room, and -!"

"Really?" Ousugi murmured. While Kodama was staring at her siblings, the professor brought his hand to his chin, the wheels spinning madly within his mind. He then started pacing about, his movement drawing the full attention of all three girls.

"Sensei?" Kodama spoke after about a minute had passed. "What is it?"

Ousugi didn't respond. Instead, his face tightened with thought, his movements quickened, the smell of wood burning all but palpable to the others. Until at last he came to a stop and grinned feverishly. "Of course!" he declared, snapping his fingers. "That's it! The catalyst!"

"Catalyst?" Kodama repeated, raising an eyebrow at her teacher.

"Hikari, tell me something; after the experiment, when was the next time you had anything sweet to eat? Anything with large amounts of sugar in it?" Ousugi demanded.

Taken aback by this question, she shrugged before answered, "Well, we went out for pizza and ice cream right after that, and…"

"I mean besides that," Ousugi clarified with a wave of his hand.

Once again, Hikari contemplated the question. "Hmmm…well, last night, I went out with a friend of mine. I…had a chocolate parfait at the mall," she admitted. Wincing as Kodama looked at her in surprise, the Horaki matriarch gave a bashful smile as she added, "Well…three of them, actually."

"_Three _of them?!" Kodama gaped. Rolling her eyes, the eldest sister shook her head in disbelief. "And you ordered that chocolate pizza as well?! Hikari -!"

"I _knew_ it!" Ousugi broke in. Jumping up and letting out a loud whoop of excitement, the professor spun about on his toes before looking his student in the eyes. "It makes perfect sense now! Sugar! It must be the key to the alien cells!"

"Huh?" Kodama gaped, followed closely by her sisters.

"Think about it! These cells have already demonstrated the ability to change their physical dimensions instantaneously! To stretch and change pigmentation in order to take on whatever form Hikari imagines! To reconfigure their very molecular density so as to move through solid matter!" Ousugi went, growing more excited by the moment. "But in order to do so…they would need large amounts of readily accessible energy to fuel those abilities. Even if we presume they are capable of drawing energy from environmental sources, the bulk of their fuel must come from within the body itself."

"Right, that makes sense," Kodama agreed.

"And no matter how efficient the body's digestive processes might be, the cells would still need those fuels to be extremely easy to process!" Ousugi continued, pacing about again. "And sugar is a very quick-burning form of biological fuel. Easily processed into immediate energy!"

"Which would explain why Nozomi can be so hyper," Kodama commented, giving her younger sister a knowing look.

While Nozomi was sticking her tongue out at her detractor, Hikari asked, "So what are you saying? That…I changed because I had those parfaits last night?"

"Oh, no, no, no! I'm certain that you've been changing right along, Hikari!" the professor returned. "But the sheer abundance of sugar in your system probably acted as a catalyst, accelerating the metamorphosis! Tell me, have you experienced any periods of dizziness or exhaustion since the experiment."

"Well…yeah," Hikari confirmed. "I've been having them every day, actually."

"I _knew _it! Those must have been symptoms of your transformation!" Ousugi grinned, clenching his fists in excitement. "The alien DNA was forcing your body to draw upon as much natural sugar as it could to facilitate the process! And given the abilities you've demonstrated, I'd be willing to wager that these aliens would habitually require large amounts of sugar in their diets in order to maintain their energy levels!"

Frowning her disapproval, Kodama asked, "Sensei…are you telling me that Hikari is going to have to eat that much junk _every day _just to keep up her strength?"

"Well, I wouldn't go that far," Ousugi countered. "I'm sure that, once her physiology has stabilized, she won't need to eat nearly so much." Then he smiled good-naturedly before saying, "But then, that's just one of the many things we still have to learn in regards to what's happening to her."

"Maybe," Kodama conceded unhappily. "But sensei, how are we supposed to get her here every day so you can conduct more tests?"

"I don't think we can. At least, not without attracting the kind of attention we'd rather avoid," Ousugi admitted. Then he gave his student a broad grin before clapping her on the shoulder. "But, fortunately enough, we don't have to!"

"Huh?" Kodama gaped. "Wh-what are you talking about?!"

"Well, we've already done most of the big tests we need to do. For now, anyway," Ousugi explained. "So all we need to do for the time is simply…monitor Hikari's condition. Keep track of her overall physical, as well as look for any abnormalities that might show up."

"Well, yeah, but…" Kodama started, only to break out in a puzzled frown. "Wait a minute! Are you saying…you want _me _to do that? On my own?"

"Of course! After all, you _are _minoring in biological chemistry, aren't you? And you're already familiar with the necessary equipment," Ousugi went on, as if this were the simplest thing in the world. "And as for the equipment itself, I'm sure I can borrow a few things around here."

"_Borrow _them?" Kodama murmured warily.

"Certainly!" Ousugi told her, placing his hand on her back as he started forward, moving her along as well. "And if anybody asks, I'll just tell them that you're working on…a special project for me." Leaning in closer with conspiratorial smirk, he added, "And I'm sure you wouldn't mind a few extra credit points here and there."

Her ears pricking up at the words 'extra credit', Kodama's expression became that much less sour. "Well…I guess that could work," she conceded, not quite succeeding in hiding her smile. "And I guess I could smuggle blood and tissue samples to you here." Grinning like an idiot, Ousugi nodded at his prize pupil, only for Kodama to frown again. "But, sensei…we still have to get Hikari back home before Dad gets back! How are we gonna take the train if she can't hold her shape long enough to get home?"

"Not to worry, my dear! If I'm right about how Hikari's body works now, then a constant supply of sugar should sustain her for the trip!" Ousugi declared. "I think a couple Big Slushies from the Quickie Mart should do the job. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Well…" Kodama murmured, biting her lip in the process. "Maybe…but we'd have to test your theory before we could even try to -!"

"Absolutely!" Ousugi agreed, clapping his hands briskly. "Tell you what; why don't I go fetch the equipment we need and some cold drinks for Hikari! Then we can see how long she can maintain a shape with a steady sugar supply!"

"Okay. I'll keep an eye on things here," Kodama nodded easily.

"Right. And be sure to keep the doors locked until I get back!" Ousugi told her, already moving towards the door. "I've already my fair share of coronaries for today! One more, and I'll exceed my quota!"

Chuckling as she followed her sensei to the door, Kodama closed the door behind him. Her smile disappearing as she locked the door, her concerns returning as she went back to her sisters. "Well, Hikari?" she began, looking at the girl who had already been through so much, and would by necessity go through even more. "Do you think you can handle that kind of a trip?"

Exhaling sharply, Hikari looked down at herself. "Well…I've been handling this without any trouble," she returned. "But anything more…I don't know." A shadow hovering about her face, she gave her sister a crooked smile. "But I guess we're gonna find out. Aren't we?"

As the eldest sister nodded her concern, Nozomi piped up, "Say, Kodama…do you think the professor is right about this? And that sister really _needs_ to eat all that stuff?"

"Well…its only a theory, but it fits all the facts we have right now," Kodama shrugged.

With a definite pout, Nozomi asked, "And you're _sure _you didn't find anything…different about me?"

"As far as we can tell, you're perfectly okay," Kodama replied, smiling thoughtfully. "We're just lucky Hikari got to you before the gas did. Or you could've been infected as well."

"Yeah," Nozomi grumbled, making this sound like a curse. Turning towards Hikari, she glared at the Horaki matriarch in a way she had never had before. "Real _lucky_..."

Watching Nozomi stomp away, all wounded pout, Hikari's head began to hurt, the buzzing that was still with her that much more intense. _I don't believe this, _she thought, comprehension driving her pain to greater heights_. I've been turned into an alien, a sugar-guzzling, shape-changing, red-eyed half-ghost-half-alien whatever-it-is-I-am! I've got weirdoes kidnapping me, I'm going to have Kodama conducting experiments on me during my free time, and now Nozomi's mad at me for keeping the same thing from happening to her?!_

The weight of the situation becoming too much for her to bear, Hikari leaned forward, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Kodama…please do me a favor," the mutant girl moaned. "Pinch me so I can wake up already."

* * *

"I don't like this," Asuka grumbled around a mouthful of food. An air of pure grumpiness radiating from her, one that kept the rest of the children from coming too close to her. Except for the one person she hadn't given any choice in the matter.

"Really?" Shinji spoke, looking from his own noon repast to hers. "Is something wrong with your lunch, Asuka?"

"Not that, _dummkopf_!!" Asuka growled, rewarding Shinji's comment with a smack on the head. Thunder filling his ears, the 3rd Child brought his hands to cover up the lump that was already forming. "I meant Hikari!"

_How can anyone hit that hard…?_ Shinji moaned inwardly, waiting for the world to stop spinning. Once the pain in his head had settled into a dull throb, he tried speaking again. "What about her?"

"What about her? She's been out of school for almost a week now, baka!" Asuka declared, clearly considering giving him another smack to the head.

"Well, she's sick," Shinji replied lamely, unsure what else he could say in this case.

"I already knew _that _part," Asuka informed him with a roll of her eyes. "But she's been gone too long! She was out most of last week, and she's not here today, either! She won't even let me come by her house, for _Gott's _sake!"

Not exactly sure what to say to this, but sensing that the German expected a response of some kind, Shinji set aside the lunch he had worked so hard on that morning. "I guess I can understand. She probably just doesn't want you catching whatever she's got, that's all."

"Hmph! Like _that _would actually happen!" Asuka retorted derisively. "Besides, this stupid school has gone completely downhill since she's been out!" Wearing his confusion on his face, Shinji looked perplexedly, at the German. "Haven't you noticed?! Those stupid stooge friends of yours have been more annoying than ever without her to keep them in line! And don't even get me started on that little creep Kazu!"

Frowning somewhat, Shinji recalled the incident in question. Their resident practical joker had been quick to take advantage of Hikari's prolonged absence in class. Shinji himself had fallen victim to one of his jokes two days into the class representative's hiatus, sitting down on a large glob of chewing gum Kazu had decorated his chair with. The prankster's next target had been Rei, who had been given a firsthand introduction to his joy buzzer. Then it had been Asuka's turn.

_Talk about stupid, _Shinji couldn't help but think. Anybody else in school would have had more sense than to do what he had done. But with two Eva pilots under his belt, Kazu couldn't resist the opportunity to get the full set. Which was why, three days after Hikari had first called in sick, Asuka had opened the door to class, and promptly found herself wearing a bucket on her head, its contents having completely soaked her through to the skin. Kazu's braying laughter had immediately filled the room, only to be cut off by the explosion of the redheaded volcano. Followed by the class being plunged into chaos as Asuka practically flew after him, screaming German oaths as steam billowed from her ears. The result of which was the both of them being put on bucket duty, Asuka being grounded by Misato, and Shinji being the German's verbal scratching post all day, rather than every other hour or so.

"I know that, Asuka," Shinji answered slowly, trying not to say something to warrant the redhead's wrath. "But…Hikari can't do anything about it if she's sick. And…it's not like we can make her get better faster, so…"

The deep furrows that formed in the German's brow immediately convinced Shinji that he was about to die horribly. But instead of the explosion he was certain was imminent, Asuka looked off into the distance, her lips clamped shut.

Deciding it was best to let sleeping dogs lie, Shinji returned his attention to his lunch. He had lived with Asuka long enough to know that silence in her presence was rare, especially when she was in a bad mood. And since Hikari wasn't there for the German to spend her lunch with, there was nothing for Shinji to do but sit on the roof, relax to the breeze, and hope the relative peace lasted until the bell rang.

Unsurprisingly, this hope was in vain. "Hey, I have an idea!" Asuka declared, switching from total frown to enthusiastic grin in a split second. "Why don't we head over to Hikari's place after school today?"

"Huh?" Shinji frowned, blinking slowly as he looked at his fellow pilot. Unsure if he had heard her correctly.

"Well, of course!" Asuka stated officiously. "I figure we could at least see how she's doing, and maybe bring her some chicken soup or something while we're at it!"

"Chicken soup?" Shinji repeated blankly.

"Of course, _dummkopf! _That's what any _normal _person would give someone with a cold," Asuka declared. Snorting derisively, the German went on to say, "And seeing as how Hikari's the only person in that house that actually knows how to cook, she probably hasn't had anything decent to eat in days!"

Frowning as he considered Asuka's words, Shinji finally said, "Well…I guess it couldn't hurt. But still…_chicken _soup?"

"Yeah! _Chicken _soup! Not that damned egg-and-saké crap you Japanese insist on giving sick people!" Asuka grumbled. "_Schiesse!_ Talk about the cure being worse than the disease!"

"But, Asuka…!" Shinji tried again. Only to be cut off as Asuka sat up higher and glared down upon him.

"But what, Third?!" Asuka growled, holding up a fist with veins popping out of it.

Realizing that he had said exactly the wrong thing, Shinji raised his arms to shield himself. "Uh, w-well," he stammered, trying to salvage the situation before it was too late. "I-it's just…shouldn't we call her and…s-see if it's okay for us to stop by first? I mean, if she didn't want you stopping by before, then…"

Holding her menacing pose for just long enough to make certain that Shinji wasn't being sarcastic, Asuka sat and grinned mockingly. "Well, aren't we polite little boy?" Leaning back and brushing his concerns off with a wave of her hand, she added, "It's fine, Third! Hikari's my friend! It'll be okay!"

"But…if she doesn't want you coming by…" Shinji started, trying to make Asuka see reason.

"Eh, it's no big deal!" Asuka broke in, interested only in her own reason. "Her father probably just said that he doesn't want anybody coming around, that's all! She's just too nice to say anything like that!"

"Well…I guess…" Shinji murmured uneasily, not knowing what else he could say to that. "But still…don't we have that experiment at NERV today?"

"So we'll stop by Hikari's and _then _go to Headquarters," Asuka declared, unwilling to take no for an answer. "Besides, I know the area. There are couple stores where we can get soup on the way there."

Realizing that there was no way out of this, Shinji heaved a deep, weary sigh. "Oh…okay…" he ultimately replied, knowing what was necessary to keep the peace. As well as his own body in one piece. "But…if she doesn't want us around, then…we'll leave, right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Asuka replied dismissively. Already forgetting Shinji and his concerns, she turned her attention to wolfing down her lunch.

The rest of the day went pretty much as it usually did. Mr. Matsushiro started his lessons, only to go off on one tangent or another. The students chattered idly and Kazu shot spitballs at one of the others, knowing that their elderly teacher wouldn't take notice or do anything to restrain him. Until at last, the bell rang, signaling to everyone their release from school. Watching as the other kids stood from their seats, stretching and chatting about whatever plans they had for the day while Mr. Matsushiro tried in vain to give them their homework assignments, Shinji barely had a chance to move away from his seat before his fellow pilot called out to him, gesturing for him to follow her.

Knowing that any resistance he offered would only result in pain and still being stuck doing whatever Asuka wanted, Shinji sighed before starting after the redhead. Stopping only to retrieve their street shoes from their lockers, the two pilots were soon walking the virtually empty streets of Tokyo-3, with Asuka leading the way to the part of the city that she knew so well. With practiced ease, she guided Shinji towards a small grocery store, where she selected a few cans of chicken soup. Once Shinji was done paying for them, she led him towards her friend's home.

"Here are we," Asuka announced when they reached their goal.

Stopping to shift the grocery bag from one hand to the other, Shinji stopped to study the house before him. "So this is where Horaki-chan lives," he spoke in a thoughtful voice. The Horaki residence was a small, tasteful two-story house located in one of the better parts of Tokyo-3. Which meant that it was capable of retracting into the Geofront when an Angel attacked, preserving the house and all its valuables from harm.

"Come on, Third! Quit standing around, already!" Asuka demanded. Started by the redhead's words, Shinji started forward again, following her up to the door just she rapping impatiently on it.

"I'm coming!" came a muffled, youthful voice. Several seconds passed before the door opened, revealing a girl their junior. "Oh, hi, Asuka!"

"Hey, Nozomi!" Asuka replied with a grin. "Is Hikari in?"

"Sister?" Nozomi answered, her tiny face darkening somewhat. "Well, yeah, sure. But…"

"Great! Thanks!" Asuka returned, stepping past the little girl and entering the house itself. After six or so steps, she looked back at Shinji. "Well, c'mon, Third! What are you waiting for?"

"Hey, wait! I didn't say you could come in!" Nozomi protested, looking between the two teens. Clearly torn between chasing after one of them, and making sure the other one didn't do anything untoward.

Watching as Asuka moved about the Horaki household like she owned the place, Shinji looked down just in time to meet Nozomi's gaze. "Uh…" he started, his cheeks burning with humiliation. "I'm sorry, but…well, Asuka wanted to come over, and…well, you know how she is. Right?"

Rolling her eyes and issuing a groan of disgust, Nozomi shook looked towards Asuka, and saw that she was poking around the kitchen. "Hey, hold it!" the Horaki girl cried out, apparently deciding that the redhead was the more immediate problem. "What are you doing?!"

"Isn't it obvious? We were worried about Hikari, so we decided to check up on her!" Asuka stated, as if such a thing should be obvious. "And…is she in her room?"

"Well, yes, but – hey!" Nozomi squealed, cutting herself off upon realizing that Asuka wasn't bothering to wait for permission. The redhead was simply stomping upstairs with a destination clearly in mind. "You can't go in there! She's still sick!"

"I know _that!"_ Asuka retorted, not stopping for anything. "I just want to check and see how she's doing, that's all! I'm not going to contaminate her or anything!"

"But -!" Nozomi tried again. It was in vain, however, for Asuka had already reached the head of the stairs and was marching towards one of the doors. Just as she was raising her fist to knock on it, the door slid open. "You…might wake…sister up…"

Apparently frozen with surprise, Asuka just stood there and watched as a rather bedraggled figure stepped out to look at her uninvited guest. "Hello, Asuka," Hikari murmured in a weak voice even as Shinji tried to get a better view of things.

"Hikari!" Asuka started, a somewhat abashed look on her face as she took a step back. "I, uh…guess you heard us…"

"Heh. Kinda hard not to," Hikari answered wryly, taking a nervous step out of her room. "So…what're you doing here?"

"Well…I'm checking up on you, of course!" Asuka replied, moving up to her friend. Going over the pigtailed girl with an appraising eye, she put her hands to her hips and a worried frown on her face. "I haven't seen you for days, you tell me to stay clear of your house…!"

"Uh, yeah. It's probably because I'm sick," Hikari muttered, employing a sarcastic voice that Shinji had never heard her use before. And judging by Asuka's face, neither had she. "Which is why I told you I _didn't _want you coming by. Because I _didn't _want to take a chance on you getting…whatever it is I've got?"

"Uh, right," Asuka got out, looking more and more like a little girl that had gotten caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Giving a quick shake of her head, the redhead regained control of her mannerisms and shifted the focus away from herself. "Hey, I was just worried about you! Is there something wrong with that?" Hikari's response was a self-depreciating snort, which Asuka apparently took as a cue that she should tone it down a bit. "So…how are you doing?"

Groaning her discomfort, Hikari tilted her head this way and that before eventually replying, "Hmm…it's not as bad as it has been the past few days. I think it just looks worse than it actually is now," Hikari replied with a bit of humor. Despite this, Shinji could tell that the class representative wasn't quite herself, even from a distance. Her movements were quick and nervous, and her flesh was paler than it should have been. Her freckles stood out even from where he was standing, and she seemed somewhat thinner than usual.

While Shinji was considering what he should say, or if he should say anything at all, Hikari stood up somewhat straighter. "So…you were worried about me, huh?"

"What are you talking about?! Of _course _I was worried!" Asuka declared with a hint of indignity. "You're out for a week and you don't want anyone over?! Who _wouldn't _be worried?! Especially after the way you were acting the last time I saw you!"

"Oh, right. That," Hikari answered, putting a bit more effort into her smile. Then she brought her hand to her mouth just as she gave a raspy cough. "Ugh. Sorry," the pigtailed girl offered before she coughed again.

"Whew. That sure doesn't sound good," Asuka admitted as she came up closer.

"Yeah," Hikari nodded glumly. Then she gave another cough, and added, "You should've heard me a few days ago."

"I'll bet," Asuka concurred grimly.

Not exactly sure what he should do, Shinji shifted about on his feet, grocery bag in hand. Guilt hanging over his head for his own role in this invasion, he gingerly cleared his throat. "Uh, hello, Horaki-chan," he murmured, red coloring his cheeks.

"Hi, Shinji," Hikari returned, looking down at him from above. "So, Asuka dragged you along as well, huh?"

While his brain was trying to come up with something intelligent for him to say, Asuka shot her friend a look of pure outrage. "Hey, wait a minute! What makes you think I dragged him anywhere?!"

"Because I can't imagine _Shinji _ever barging in someplace where he wasn't invited," Hikari informed her friend matter-of-factly. Taking a moment to enjoy the embarrassment that was so clear on Asuka's face, she added, "And since I know he could never manage to drag _you _anywhere, that leaves us with only one suspect. Doesn't it?"

"Huh? Oh, right!" Asuka answered, a tiny smile curling her lips.

Still embarrassed over what was happening and knowing that Asuka's salved pride made it safer for him to speak, Shinji looked up at her friend. "Um…Horaki-chan?" he began, holding up the bag for her to see. "Asuka and I…we brought you some chicken soup. For your cold."

"Uh, thank you," Hikari replied, smiling at him, then her friend. As Asuka smiled in turn, the pigtailed girl gave her a look of embarrassment. "Look, I…I'd really like for you both to stay a little longer, but…I'm sorry, but I'm just not…"

"Oh, we understand!" Shinji spoke up. Looking up at his fellow pilot, he added, "Right, Asuka?"

"Of course we do!" Asuka agreed after a moment's hesitation. "Besides, we have to get going anyway. Got some stuff to take care of at base."

"I am sorry, but…" Hikari tried again, only to shrug dejectedly.

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about!" Asuka told her. "Look, have some soup and get some rest, okay?" Clasping her friend on the shoulder, the German gave her a meaningful look. "I'll call you later, check and see how you're doing, get you caught up on everything that's been happening…"

"Right, that sounds good," Hikari agreed as she began moving towards the stairs, motioning the German along with her. "And…not that isn't great to see you, but…I'm really not good company right now."

"Hey, it's no problem!" Asuka replied as the two girls started downstairs. "But be sure to let me know when you get better! I'm dying for someone intelligent to talk to at school!"

"Hmm. I know the feeling," Hikari returned.

Despite suffering the feeling that he had just been zinged, Shinji gave Hikari a polite bow of his head before handing her the bag of soup. "Here you go, Horaki-chan."

"Thanks, you two," Hikari beamed as she took the bag. "I, uh…guess I'll see you around."

"Guess so," Asuka agreed somewhat awkwardly. Looking about uneasily, she then grabbed hold of Shinji's wrist, eliciting a pained grunt from him. "C'mon, baka! Let's get going!"

"Uh, right," Shinji got out even as he was yanked off-balance. "Um, see you later, Horaki-chan!"

"Goodbye! And thanks again!" Hikari waved as Asuka practically dragged him out the door. Soon, they were walking away from the Horaki residence, and towards one of the many entrances that led down into the Geofront.

While Shinji was inspecting his wrist for any signs of damage, he glanced over at his companion, who was frowning somewhat. "Well…at least we know Horaki-chan's doing better," he eventually decided to say.

"Hmm?" Asuka started distractedly. Requiring a moment to wake up from her musings and realize that Shinji was speaking to her, she finally looked up and muttered, "Yeah, sure. Whatever."

Confused by her attitude, Shinji furrowed his brows. "Is something wrong?"

"No, not really," Asuka muttered. "Just…Hikari seemed pretty eager to get us outta there."

"Well, she _is _sick," Shinji commented. "And she looked pretty tired, too."

"Yeah. Maybe," Asuka muttered distractedly. "Anyway, let's get going, Third. The sooner we get this stupid experiment of Akagi's done and over with, the better!" Not even bothering to say anything to this, Shinji just did his best to keep pace with the redhead as she accelerated towards NERV.

* * *

"Finally!" Hikari gasped in relief, mopping her brow as she fell back against the wall of her house. "I was starting to think that they'd never leave!"

"That was pretty close, sister," Nozomi concurred, only to gasp when Hikari allowed herself to revert back to her alien shape. "What is it? You out of juice already?"

"No, I'm fine there," Hikari replied dismissively. "I just want to rest up for later, when Daddy gets back. I want to be able to hold the change for as long as possible while he's here, remember?"

Nozomi gave a wry look as she nodded to this. "So how are you doing? Are you getting any better at staying yourself?"

"Well, a little," Hikari shrugged as she started back towards the stairs. "I'm up to almost an hour now without any cola or sugary food."

"Really?" Nozomi commented, eyeing her sister suspiciously. "I guess that is a _little_ better."

Nodding, Hikari considered her sibling's words. _It is getting easier, _she thought to herself, thinking of the train trip back from Kodama's college. How she had needed to go through two Big Slushies just to keep her human appearance in the oven that was the train, and how she had required a third in order to guarantee safe passage home.

"Kodama did say that my cells seemed to be getting more stable," Hikari spoke aloud. "And I haven't had any of those big cravings lately."

"Good for you," Nozomi returned, this time with a greater measure of sarcasm.

Rolling her eyes and doing her best to ignore her younger sister's sniping, Hikari started up the stairs. _It's true. I can hold the change a lot a longer now without anything to eat or drink. I can even mess up my appearance to look sick, _she thought somberly, grateful for the practice she had been doing in that regard. Practice that had been invaluable in making sure her father kept from school. _But…I can't keep staying home. Daddy's already getting worried, and…I won't be able to snack at school if I start getting weak there._

Gladly entering her room, Hikari collapsed upon her futon, eager to put all her woes at of her mind. _One thing at a time, Hikari,_ she told herself, closing her eyes and trying to relax. _Just deal with this one thing at a time…and hope like hell that nothing happens to make things worse._

Even as she thought this, however, Hikari couldn't help but shudder. As if something was tickling her in the back of her mind. Whispering evil intentions, taunting her with a doom that would soon be coming…

* * *

Author's Notes: Another chapter down as we edge closer to getting to the thick of this story. Please, read and review! And hopefully check out my other stories.

People have been commenting on the slow pace of this story, and I have to admit, I have been trouble getting Hikari into the thick of things. But that is about to end, I promise you. Still, I decided to try and pick up the pace with this chapter. I'm not exactly satisfied with it, but I'm not coming up with any brilliant ideas on how to smooth it out right now, and I know that I've gotten slower in the rate of my updates. So I just decided to post and hope for the best, and hope that I come up with some clever fix for this thing later.

Zoro50, Hikari might not have her full strength back, but she is getting there. Hope you approve of the jump in the pacing.

JediMasterDarjaak, sorry to take so long, but I hope you like this latest chapter.

animefan29, Hikari's power failures are soon going to be the least of her worries. Trust me on this.

Mike313, again, I hope the jump in pacing is to your liking. Yukari is definitely malicious, and she's going to be a serious pain for the Horaki sisters. Finally, as to her super strength, don't worry. As her body continues to stabilize, the rest of her powers will be coming online.

Anyway, enough of that! Onto the omake!

Omake

"Hikari! What is your problem?!" OrionPax09 yelled in protest as a green girl half his size carted him about over her shoulder like a sack of garbage. "C'mon! Let me down! I can walk, you know!"

"I know that," Hikari grumbled as she marched into the psychiatric office she had secured for her purposes. "I just want to make sure you go where I want to, instead of back over the fourth wall!" Locking the door behind her, she set Orion down by the couch. "Now, sit down! We've got to talk!"

"Yeah, I'll say we have to talk!" Orion grumbled, completely ignoring the couch. "Not only did you bust in on the biggest fight I've ever seen and ruin my night out, but thanks to you, the last chapter of this story was short one omake!"

"Right. That fight you arranged between Power Girl Asuka and Doomsday!" Hikari sneered officiously.

"Precisely!" Orion grumbled. "Seriously, do you know just how much trouble I had setting that thing up? Making sure the bitch was where I wanted her to be and rounding up bringing Doomsday? Never mind arranging for the arena and promoting the event?" Shaking his head disgustedly, he then looked his entry to the SOE2 universe square in the eye. "And now, because of you, it's never even going to see the light of day!"

"Thank goodness for small favors!" Hikari returned, placing her hands to her hips. "Somehow, I don't think the readers would appreciate even more of your patented Asuka-bashing!"

"Ha! Tell that to the people who polled!" Orion grinned, folding his arms across his chest. "According to them, not only am I _not _going overboard with my Asuka-bashing, but I'm not doing it _enough!_ So _there!"_

"Well, _I_ didn't take part in that poll," Hikari retorted. "And in _my _opinion, you chortling and munching popcorn while Kensuke records my best friend getting her limbs ripped off by _Doomsday_ and Toji is hawking shirts with the words, 'Suck kryptonite and die, bitch!', is completely overboard!" Glaring her ire at the fanfic writer, the superwoman heaved a deep sigh when he failed to be fazed. "I'm amazed that you weren't hitting her with red sun radiation to knock out her powers!"

"What? Me? Do something like that? Never!" Orion replied with raised eyebrows. "After all, that would end the fight too quickly! And you know the fight fans were itching for a real fight to the finish!"

"A fight to the finish, huh?" Hikari repeated irritably. "And I actually thought that the rest of your SOEs were exaggerating a bit when they talked me into this?"

"Well, now you know that they weren't," Orion stated tiredly. "I've got several stories to work, pictures to post on the internet, never mind the mess that is my life on the other side of the fourth wall! So can I just go already?"

"Absolutely not! Neither of us is going anywhere until we talk out your hatred for Asuka, and get you over it! At least enough so that it doesn't show up in your stories anymore!" Hikari declared firmly.

"Great. Then we're going to be stuck here for the rest of our lives," Orion snorted, looking away from his creation.

"Whatever it takes, Orion," Hikari muttered grimly as he sat back on the psychiatrist's couch. A queasy feeling in her gut saying that he might actually be right about that.


	6. Strange Encounters

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to DC Comics or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Chapter 6: Strange Encounters

Darkness. It was everywhere Hikari looked. Up and down, left and right. No matter which direction she turned, darkness was the only thing that met her eyes. The only thing she could sense at all.

She felt as if she was floating through absolute nothingness. There was nothing beneath her, and no wind against her skin. _Where…where am I…? _Hikari silently asked as she tried to make sense of what was happening. _How'd I even get here? And…where _is _here?_

Her silent plea went unanswered. As far as she could tell, there wasn't even anything there to answer it. And Hikari continued to float through the blackness. Without anything, any light or any sign to indicate what was happening to her. No sign that there was anything out there besides herself.

Time stretched out as Hikari continued to float, unsure if she was moving or stationary. Unable to see even herself as she looked about. _What's going on? Has…has something happened to me? _she wondered, growing more and more alarmed. _Have I gone blind? What's happened to me? Why can't I see anything? Where am I?_

Again, Hikari had no answers. And the all-consuming darkness that surrounded her did not offer any, either. So she continued to float in the perpetual night. Becoming more unsure, more afraid, with each passing moment.

Finally, after an unknowable amount of time, Hikari reached her breaking point. "Is there anybody out there?" she demanded of the darkness. "What is this? Where am I?"

As she listened to her words echo in the darkness, Hikari felt a moment of relief in at that she was at least able to hear her own voice. That she still had ears for hearing. But that relief was soon cut short when no other voice answered her pleas. Leaving her once again to wait helplessly in the dark.

"Oh, god, I sure hope this is a dream…" Hikari muttered, speaking if only to fill her ears. "This had better be a -!"

_**What?**_ came another voice. A voice that was completely unlike anything Hikari had ever heard before. A voice that was utterly huge and yet distorted, like a huge crowd of people all speaking the same words at almost the same time. A voice that was strangely flat, and emotive at the same time. A voice of tremendous power.

Jolted with terror, Hikari brought her hands to her mouth. Determined not to let even the slightest noise escape her lips, to not do anything to draw that terrible voice's attention.

Once again, time passed in silence as Hikari peered into the darkness, but with even greater intent. _What…what was that?_ she asked, trembling with fear as she searched for the source of the voice. Terrified beyond anything she could ever have imagined possible. It was as if someone had branded the word 'danger' into her brain, had seared that instinct into the very core of her being. Gulping fearfully, only to choke on the sound, she continued to look wildly about. _It…that wasn't anything human! It -!_

Hikari's thought was instantly cut off when something finally cut through the all-consuming darkness. A strange slit began to open up, casting a horrible yellow light through the shadows.

Completely freezing at this horrible sight, Hikari watched in dread awe as the slit opened up wider. Time seeming to slow to a crawl as the light became less blinding, allowing her to make out greater detail of the glowing object. Enough to be able to see a disk of blood red at the center of the slit. A disk that was laden was complicated patterns, almost like a circuit board.

A disk that was the pupil of a huge, horrible eye.

_No…_ Hikari moaned inwardly as she watched the eye begin to swivel about, this way and that. The light it cast setting off every fearful instinct that she possessed. Leaving her helpless to do anything but float in the darkness, frozen with terror, until at last the eye finally cast its light upon her.

If Hikari had thought she was as terrified as was humanly possible, she would have been instantly proven wrong. Her mind went completely numb with horror as the eye drilled into her, widening as it hovered overhead. She quaked and trembled, her mind screaming to run, to float or fly or disappear back into the darkness. To do anything to get her way from the eye's awful gaze. But she couldn't. She couldn't move. Could barely even think.

And when she saw other slits slowly open up into similar eyes, eyes that were quick to turn towards her and bathe her in their own light, Hikari couldn't even think. All she could do was beg for the end to come, one way, or the other.

_**Impossible,**_ came the impossible voice once more, this time seeming to echo a hundred times over. _**You are dead. You cannot be here.**_

Sucking in a desperate gasp, Hikari did her all to shrink away from the horde of cruel eyes. "Wh-what…?" she whimpered out, her own weak voice giving even greater strength to her fear. "What a-are you…?"

_**You are dead,**_ the voice told her once more, in the exact same manner it had spoken before. _**You cannot be here. You are dead.**_

* * *

"_Nooooo!"_ Hikari shrieked, her eyes squeezed shut as she struggled with the horror. Completely out of control, she flailed wildly against the emptiness, desperate for a handhold, to actually _feel _something. _"Stop it! Please! Leave me alone! Leave me alone! Leave me -!"_

"Sister!" came a familiar voice, one that cut through Hikari's terror like a hot knife through butter. Gasping in surprise, the pigtailed girl opened her eyes…and found that the horrid eyes were all gone, along with the darkness that had spawned them. In their place were the warm, familiar sights and sounds of the Horaki living room. And after a few moments' searching, Hikari locked gazes with her younger sister.

Blinking rapidly, Hikari let out a sigh of relief before mopping her brow. "Oh…it's you, Nozomi," she muttered, suddenly feeling very sheepish. "Oh, god…"

"Um…are you alright, sister?" Nozomi squeaked out uncertainly. "And…what are you doing up there, anyway?"

"I'm sorry. I just…had the worst nightmare, and…" Practically swallowing her tongue, Hikari cut herself off and did a double take on Nozomi's last sentence. Her nightmare and her terror momentarily forgotten, she focused with laser-like intensity on her situation. And soon realized that, yes, Nozomi was somewhat below her, and, yes, there was something wrong with the angle from which she was seeing the living room. Finally, she looked straight down, and discovered that, not only was she completely naked once again, but she was roughly five or six feet above the floor.

What happened next was something right out of a Road Runner cartoon. The instant Hikari realized her situation, whatever forces within her body that allowed her to float like this decided to conk out, and gravity immediately took over. With a surprised squawk, the green girl suddenly crashed to the floor, and much to her dismay, this didn't turn out to be a dream as well.

"Sister!" Nozomi cried out, the little girl rushing over to Hikari's side. Kneeling down and gingerly placing her hand on the older girl's shoulder, she leaned in closer and asked, "Are…are you okay?"

Taking a moment to groan and wonder for the umpteenth time what she could have possibly done to deserve all this, the green-skinned girl slowly looked into her sister's expectant face. "Nozomi…" Hikari groaned, somehow managing a sardonic grin. "Have I _ever _been okay since I first woke up green?"

Making a face that was somehow annoyed and cute at the same time, Nozomi rolled her eyes and said, "Yeah, I guess you're okay."

Grunting her discomfort, Hikari put her wounded ego to the side and slowly got back to her feet. Sparing a moment to look at herself and realize that she was completely naked, she sighed and concentrated. With a bit of effort, she willed her flesh to shift and flow. "What happened?" she asked her sibling even as she reverted to human form, including a simple shirt and shorts. "How'd I…?"

"End up out here?" Nozomi concluded for her. "Well, I heard a strange noise, and then I saw you come floating out of the kitchen. You were all curled up and shaking, and…" The younger girl trailed off, concern ghosting her features as she lowered her gaze. "You…looked like you were having a nightmare…"

"Hmm. That's one way of putting it," Hikari returned, wrapping her arm about herself. Some of the fear she had felt returning, like an icy claw around her heart. "A _nice _way."

"Whoa. Sounds like it was pretty bad," Nozomi muttered. Her own concerns mounting as Hikari sat down on the couch with a definite flop.

"Yeah," Hikari muttered as she leaned forward with her forehead in her hands. Doing everything she could to not think about it. To keep the horrors of that dream safely in the realm of nightmares, where it belonged. Where it couldn't intrude on the waking world, couldn't bring her even greater fear.

Hearing more than seeing Nozomi approach, Hikari didn't bother looking up when she gently asked, "Um…do you…want to talk about it?" Giving her sister a surprised look, she was then treated to the sight of Nozomi shrugging sheepishly. "That is…I remember…whenever I had a bad dream…Mommy would always…she…"

Hikari didn't want to talk about it. She didn't want to say a single word about the horror the strange dream had inspired in her, to give it even greater reality. But before she could say anything to that effect, she looked at Nozomi's tiny face, and saw fear and concern in it. "Maybe later," Hikari finally sighed tiredly. With a final effort to push her terrors aside, the Horaki matriarch made a point of looking towards the front door. "So, since I'm up anyway…do you know what time it is?"

"Uh, yeah," Nozomi replied even as she craned her neck to look at her watch. "It's just after seven."

Her mouth popping open, Hikari partly reverted to her inhuman form before regaining herself. "It's after seven? Already?" she cried out in dismay, leaping to her feet. "Omigosh! I have to get dinner started! Daddy and Kodama will be -!"

"Don't worry about Daddy!" Nozomi piped up, smiling knowingly. "He called to say that he was going to be late tonight. They're running some kind of experiment tonight. So you don't have to hurry."

Pausing, Hikari considered that particular tidbit. Not having to worry about her father's imminent arrival did make things a touch easier. "Okay, but I still better get on it soon," she decided. "The last thing I want to put up with is Kodama nagging me about food when she gets back."

Starting towards her room so she could fetch some decent clothing, Hikari paused when Nozomi murmured, "You know, if you're still feeling tired, we could always order out for something…"

Laughing at her sister's none-too-subtle hint, Hikari looked over her shoulder and answered, "Sorry, Nozomi. But the _second_-to-last thing I want to deal with is Kodama grumbling about how I'm contaminating everyone with my eating habits." The overly cute pout her sister developed after that giving her increased reason to laugh, Hikari started up to her room. "Don't worry, I _promise_ I'll make something the both of you can enjoy. As impossible as it may be at times!"

"Hey, it's not _my _fault Kodama wouldn't know anything fun if it bit her in the -!" Nozomi started, her voice being cut off when Hikari entered her room and closed the door behind her. Allowing her body to revert to its normal self (or abnormal self, as Hikari still thought of it), she went to her closet and began picking out suitable clothing. While being able to reform her flesh to resemble clothing was something she had been practicing at home, and actually did come in handy when her father had decided to pop in unannounced to check on her condition, there was no doubt that simply adjusting her coloring and musculature to resemble her normal self was a lot easier on her.

_Now, if only I could hold this a whole day without snacking, _Hikari grumbled inwardly as she dressed. _I might not be getting fat, but I still feel like I'm about to blimp out at any second!_

A few minutes later, the Horaki matriarch was fully dressed and satisfied with her appearance. Still, as she looked in the mirror, she couldn't help but frown slightly. _Still…maybe if I got really good at this whole shape-shifting bit…_ she found herself thinking as she studied her freckled face, as well as a chest that wasn't what anyone could call amply endowed. _I mean…I don't want to be totally huge, but…maybe if I just changed my coloring and left everything else the way it is now…_

Sighing out loud, Hikari shook her head longingly. While she tried not to pay attention to such things, focusing on her role and responsibilities at home and school, she knew she wasn't the most eye-catching girl around. When she and Asuka went out to the mall, Hikari knew that it was her redheaded friend that drew the guys' attention, and not her. And though she never said anything out loud, there were more than a few times when she wished she was as eye-catching as the German.

_Hmph. That might explain my new color. All green with envy, _Hikari reprimanded herself, suddenly annoyed with her stray line of thought. _C'mon, Hikari. Stay focused and get dinner started. You can figure out how to morph into a supermodel after you find a way to keep your face on at school._

Giving one last sigh, Hikari left her room and started downstairs. Trying to keep her mind on business, and meeting with only partial success.

* * *

There were times that working at NERV flat-out sucked.

There were certainly plenty of reasons to grumble while on the job. The abysmal pay, the atrocious hours, and coffee that was only marginally tolerable when hot. But as far as Misato was concerned, one of the absolute worse things about NERV was the prevailing mentality that the children they used to wield the monstrous Evangelions were mere tools.

"_What?_" came the piercing wail of Asuka over the intercom."You mean I have to take my clothes off _again?"_

Sighing, Misato watched as Ritsuko Akagi replied with the air of a complete professional scientist dealing with a taciturn guinea pig. "The next chamber is an ultra-clean environment, Asuka," the faux-blonde informed her in a voice that betrayed too many hours working fueled solely by willpower and crappy coffee. "Simply taking a shower and changing your undergarments is insufficient."

"I don't believe this!" Asuka whined instantly. "All the _schisse_ for a dumb autopilot test! This sucks!"

Watching with growing sense of distaste and disinterest as Ritsuko talked down the redhead, Misato sighed, painfully aware that she was running on fumes as well. When the sound of Shinji and Asuka groaning their misery caught her ears, the Major caste an accusatory look at her friend. "You could be a little nicer to them, you know."

Turning to return her look, Ritsuko grumbled, "Misato, you know how important these tests are. We're going to need all the data we can get if we're going to make the Dummy System work."

_Which is one of the reasons why Asuka hates it, _Misato thought tiredly, well aware how much pride the German took in her status as a pilot. Aloud, she muttered, "I know all about that, Ritsuko. I'm just saying that you could be a bit nicer to them." Frowning intently as she approached her friend, the purple-haired woman gestured towards the display that showed all the rooms and cleansing devices that had been used on the three pilots. "Several of the intersections don't even have any dividers, Rits! They're in full view of each other as they go from clean room to clean room!"

"I'm aware of that, Misato. And I understand why they wouldn't like it," Ritsuko intoned, using that same tone of voice. "But you have to remember that the pribnow box was assembled very quickly, and with our budget already at its limits. As a result…"

"I know, I know! Money, money, money!" Misato groaned mockingly. The fact that money was so necessary leading her to hate it at times. "Seriously, though! We couldn't even put in any curtains or walls, just to -?"

"I'm sorry, Misato, but that's not an option," Ritsuko explained, her voice reflecting her rapidly fraying patience. "We cannot afford even the slightest chance of contamination here. The tests we're running are just too sensitive." When the Major frowned her displeasure, the faux-blonde smiled knowingly. "Besides, once we have the Dummy System perfected, the children won't have to go through this anymore. We won't need them to fight the Angels; they'll be able to go back to their normal lives." Cocking her head at her friend, Ritsuko added, "Isn't that what you've wanted from day one?"

Knowing her friend had a valid point, Misato growled deep in her throat. Trying to ignore the rat that had crawled into her mouth and died, she was brought back to the present when Asuka declared, "Alright, we're all here! Butt-naked and run through the wash cycle seventeen times!"

"Good," Ritsuko replied, no pleasure in her voice. "And I want the three of you to stay that way as you walk through the room and board the Entry Plugs."

There was a moment of silence so potent that Misato could have heard a pin drop before Asuka shattered it. "_What? Are you crazy?"_

"Don't worry. We've already turned off the video recorders," Ritsuko told her, a familiar vein bulging somewhat from her forehead. "The purpose of this experiment is to monitor the harmonics directly from your bodies, without the interference of your plug suits. Not to engage in voyeurism."

"Asuka, please, just do it," Misato told her wearily. "Or do you want me to make it an order?"

The German girl replied with a statement best not repeated, and with some grumblings and mutterings, the three pilots eventually got into the Entry Plugs. As Misato stood there, barely paying attention to the steady flow of techno-babble, she watched the three plugs and the children within them with a sense of guilt.

_It's true. If the Dummy System really _does _work, then the children won't have to fight the Angels anymore, _Misato thought, guilt stabbing at her heart. Guilt over her obsession with the Angels, her hatred of them. Her need for revenge upon them. A need she had tried in vain to feed by using the children just as much as the rest of NERV did. Making them fight in biomechanical monstrosities that wouldn't accept her as a pilot.

_If only I could do it…fight them myself, _Misato thought, feeling heavy slabs of guilt settle on her shoulders. _But…I can't…I…_

The Major's line of thought was cut off by the sound of a strange groan coming from somewhere above. Standing up straighter, she looked about just in time to see Ritsuko turn towards Maya. "What is that? Another leak?"

"No, sempai," Maya reported, cupping a phone to ear. "According to Shigeru, it's some kind of corrosion in the Protein Wall above this floor."

"Oh, great," Ritsuko grumbled, placing her hand to her undoubtedly throbbing forehead. "Could it affect the test?"

"Not at the moment," Maya told her, setting the phone back down. "They'll let us know if it gets any worse."

"Good. The last thing I want to do is try and start this experiment again from scratch," Ritsuko stated. Mustering a wan smile, she added, "Besides, the Commander would chew my ass off is we aborted because of a few technical problems."

Several of the techies issued a low chuckle at this, and then got back to business. The techno-babble resumed its normal flow, and Misato returned to watching with disinterest. Until another sound pierced through her consciousness. The blare of an alarm.

"What's going on?" Ritsuko demanded tersely.

"Contamination alert!" answered a female tech. "It's in Sigma Unit on the 8th floor!"

"The 87th Protein Wall is corroding! Temperature rising rapidly!" announced a male techie.

"The corrosion of the Protein Wall is spreading rapidly!" Maya cried out, her fingers raining down upon her station. "It's everywhere!"

"Dammit! Abort the test!" Ritsuko ordered, those last three words coming out like a curse as well. "Shut off all flows through the 6th Pipe system!" Ritsuko

Acting with incredible efficiency, Maya began executing her orders. Only to look up at her mentor, her face creased with shock. "It's not working! Whatever it is, it's spreading along the walls as well!"

Making a face at this development, Ritsuko ordered, "Deploy polysomes. Set their lasers for maximum power!"

Frowning at this, Misato looked back into the water-filled room that held the simulation bodies. Even then, several aquatic robots were moving past the headless monstrosities, ready to blast whatever was eating through the pribnow box so rapidly. Once again a witness to a battle she was unable to fight herself.

Her entire body tense with adrenaline and anticipation, Misato practically jumped out of her skin when a cry of pain filled the observation room. "Rei!" she screamed, looking towards the source. Only to gasp at the sight of the albino's simulation body reaching towards them. Splotches of red appearing on the surface.

"It's the corrosion!" Maya reported from her station. "It's invaded the simulation bodies' active water system!"

"Quick! Eject the Entry Plugs immediately!" Ritsuko ordered, an edge of fear creeping into her voice. "Use the lasers!"

Desperate to keep track of everything that was happening, Misato watched as the three Entry Plugs were launched through an emergency hatch that closed behind them. She also watched as the polysomes took position before a section of wall that was showing signs of the same discoloration that had manifested on the simulation body. And she watched as a series of laser beams were fired…only to be deflected by a barrier of orange light. Light she knew all too well.

"AT-Field!" Misato gasped, her eyes going wide with shock. _"An Angel!"_

* * *

As Hikari moved about in the kitchen, humming lightly to herself, she started somewhat when she heard the front door swing open. Only to relax again when she heard Kodama call out, "I'm home! Whew, what a day!"

"Hello, Kodama," Hikari spoke, quickly surveying the various dishes before moving to the living room. Watching as her older sibling approached with her schoolbags in hand, she asked, "How'd your day go?"

"Pretty good, actually," the eldest Horaki sister replied. Giving Hikari a knowing smirk, she added, "And if you're wondering if, by that I mean I have some news for you…then the answer is yes." While the pigtailed girl was freezing up at this, her brain focusing all of its resources on that last word, Kodama was already moving past her and into the kitchen. "Hmmmm, this looks good. Grilled salmon, right?"

After waiting the few seconds required for her mind to reboot, Hikari turned about to face her sister. "Uh, yeah. That's right," she returned, moving up beside her even as Kodama lifted up a cover and taking a sniff of the soup she was preparing. "So…the professor learned something new about…?"

"That's right," Kodama nodded, setting the lid back in place. "Well, actually, sensei and _I _found it together. We _are _a team, after all."

"Right, of course," Hikari commented absently, not terribly interested in the details. "So, anyway…"

"So how much longer until dinner's ready?" Kodama asked, already moving out of the kitchen. Leaving Hikari standing there, growling lowly in her throat. When the pigtailed girl turned and fixed her sister with a crimson glare, Kodama smiled innocently. "Hey, don't look at me that way! I'm spending my lunch hours working with sensei! What do you expect?"

"And I'm very grateful for that," Hikari assured her with mounting impatience. "Now, about what you found…"

"And besides that, do you know what I have had to put up with Yukari these past few days?" Kodama went on, playing the dutiful sister bit to the hilt. While Hikari grinding her teeth together, practically feeling the veins bulging from her forehead, her sister was heading up to her room. "Honestly, it feels like every time I look around, I see her or Shiro lurking around some corner!"

Barely stifling a grunt of annoyance, Hikari strained to be diplomatic. "Yes, I understand that," she replied around clenched teeth. "And I appreciate it. But…"

"I swear, I'll never understand that nut," Kodama grumbled, shaking her head as she entered her room. "Ever since I won the science award, she acts like every project of mine is some kind of plot against her." As Hikari stood there, staring daggers at the closed door and clenching her fists. "Did you know that she accused me of sleeping with sensei? That _that's_ why he voted for me getting the award?"

"Yeah, I can see that," Hikari growled, not bothering to conceal her mounting impatience. "Now, Kodama -!"

"Honestly! Where do people like her come from, anyway?" Kodama continued as she exited her room, having shed her more formal garb in favor of a set of slacks and shirt. Completely oblivious to the fact that her sister was slowly changing, allowing herself to shift to her alien colors even the college woman came back downstairs. "So, anyway, how much longer until dinner is ready?" Again standing before her mutated sibling, the eldest Horaki frowned somewhat as she looked into her narrowed, crimson eyes. "Is something wrong, Hikari?"

Practically hearing the snap resulting of this one last straw, Hikari moved up to her sister and placed her hands to her hips. "No," she growled even as she lifted Kodama up off the floor. The eldest sister squawking as Hikari gave her a shake and declared, "But if you don't tell me what you found out in about _three seconds_, then I promise you, something will be _very _wrong! _Got it!_"

"Okay, okay!" Kodama cried out, caught between shock and something resembling amusement. "I get the idea, Hikari! Now put me down!"

Still frowning her displeasure, Hikari snorted lightly before setting Kodama back down on her feet. Taking a step back out of the green girl's reach, Kodama gently fingered the points where she had been grabbed. "I see you're still getting stronger," she commented, wincing at her own touch. "I'm starting to wonder if Nozomi was right when she called you a superwoman."

"Kodama, _please! _I'm not in the mood for this!" Hikari grumbled, placing her hands to her hips. "I've already had a bad day as it is! So would you please just…" The pigtailed girl trailed off as Kodama looked past her, her brows knotting. "What is it?"

"Um, Hikari?" Kodama wondered, pointing into the kitchen. "I think the soup's boiling over."

Her eyes going wide at this, Hikari whirled about and let out a screech of dismay when she saw a foamy wave pushing past the lid and spilling on the heating unit. Dashing over to the oven, she quickly pulled off the lid, only to wince in pain and recoil from the sudden wave of steam billowing up at her.

"Still having trouble with heat, huh?" Kodama noted from behind.

Feeling a few more veins popping out of her forehead, Hikari returned, "Yeah, you can say that." Moving back to the stove and making certain that the worst of the steam had abated, the Horaki matriarch quickly surveyed the damage. The salmon was still sizzling nicely, and the soup wasn't burned. She would still have a mess to deal with later, but it looked worse than it actually was. "It's not as bad as it was, but still…"

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised," Kodama commented, backing away from the disaster lest she be drafted into helping clean it up. "Considering what sensei and I found today, I…"

Her ears pricking up again, Hikari gave her sister a look. "And just what did you find?" she asked, careful to keep the bulk of her attention on dinner, not wanting anything ruined after all the work she had done. "And please, Kodama, _don't _make me have to drag it out of you!"

Tilting her head to the side, Kodama gave Hikari that smug, knowing smile of hers. "Well, I _was _going to tell you everything over dinner…but I guess I can tell you this one little bit right now," she decided, leaning in to look Hikari in the eyes. "Professor Ousugi and I were able to track down the source of the meteorite the alien cells came from."

Of all the things she could have imagined her sister telling her, this was not one of them. "What?" Hikari breathed, dinner momentarily forgotten.

"That's right," Kodama nodded, savoring the moment. "We did an analysis on the composition of the meteorite, cross-referencing it with all other known extraterrestrial samples. Imagine our surprise when we got a match!"

"But how?" Hikari gaped, torn between her sister's words and making sure the salmon didn't burn. "That rock…didn't it come from another planet or something?"

"Yeah, it was from another planet before, alright," Kodama nodded, her lips curling with anticipation. "But as it turns out, it came from a planet humans have been studying for a long time. One right in our very own solar system."

Her mind completely emptied by shock, Hikari stared slack-jawed at her sister. "What…?"

"That's right," Kodama smiled triumphantly. "Remember how we've been calling you a Martian lately?" The elder sister gave a playful shake of her head before leaning in even closer to Hikari. "Looks like we were more right than we could ever have believed."

* * *

One of the upsides of being a scientist, Ritsuko decided, was the ability to be utterly fascinated with anything unusual. Even things that were trying to kill her, as well as the rest of human race.

Some time had passed since she, Misato, and Maya had arrived on the bridge so as to be better equipped with the invading Angel. The 11th Messenger had spread throughout Sigma Unit, and had infected the mega-depth. And to make the situation even worse, Commander Ikari had been forced to evacuate the Evangelions in order to protect them from potential contamination. Leaving them to fight for their lives without the only weapons proven to be able to defeat an Angel.

And yet, all Ritsuko could do was focus on the holographic displays showing images of the contaminated simulation body in the pribnow box. All concern for her own life, for the odds against them surviving this, momentarily forgotten as she analyzed their enemy. Fascinated by the glowing points of red that marked the infection.

"Look at that," Ritsuko intoned, her voice devoid of emotion as she studied the data being collected. "The infection seems to be avoiding the area where ozone is vented in to maintain antiseptic conditions."

"Yes, I see," Maya agreed. "Their preference is pretty clear."

Stepping forward to look as well, Misato demanded, "So you're saying that this thing's weakness is ozone?"

"It would seem so," Ritsuko agreed. "Therefore, if we increase the ozone concentration…"

"We might be able to stop this thing in its tracks!" Misato returned, her eyes glinting with feral eagerness. "Makoto! Increase the ozone levels! Let's see if we can yank the welcome mat out from under our unwanted guest!"

"You got it, Major!" Makoto replied, his fingers already raining down on his control panel. "Injecting ozone now. Ozone concentration increasing."

Looking up from the techie, Ritsuko and Misato studied the display, searching for any signs that their ploy was working. To their astonishment, the effect was immediate; as soon as the additional ozone reached the contaminated areas, the red glow of the infection began to fade.

"Zero-A and Zero-B are recovering," Maya reported from her station.

"The area around the pipes is getting back to normal," Shigeru agreed.

"So far, so good," Misato commented, her voice laced with wariness. Ritsuko understood her friend's caution. In just about every engagement with the Angels, their mortal enemies had had some surprise in store for them, some hidden trick that made them that much impossible to beat, and often left battle plans in shambles.

_Not to mention burying Misato in paperwork, _Ritsuko thought, indulging in a private laugh as she recalled the despondent expression her friend had worn at the sight of her desk after the first engagement with the 7th Angel. At the mountain of paperwork Sub Commander Fuyutsuki had happily dumped in her lap, leaving her trapped in her office for days on end, promising to take NERV's battles someplace else.

As this moment of mirth faded, Ritsuko returned her focus to the situation at hand. "Let's not celebrate yet," she announced, indicating the heart of the infection. "The central mass appears to be more resistant."

Nodding, Misato ordered, "Hyuga! Inject more ozone."

Makoto was quick to respond, and within seconds, the ozone levels within the pribnow box increased dramatically. Again, Ritsuko studied the data being fed to them. Waiting and hoping that there would be no nasty surprise this time. Preparing herself for the worst, just the same. She watched and waited…and soon frowned. "What the…?"

"What is it?" Misato wondered, eyeing her friend.

"The central mass. It's not shrinking!" Ritsuko reported, a pit opening up in her stomach. A pit that said that the proverbial other show had just dropped. Right on all their heads. A feeling that was confirmed by the worried cries of the bridge crew, and their reports.

"Something's wrong! The heat levels are going through the roof!" Makoto reported, a drop of sweat rolling down his forehead.

"The contamination is spreading again! It's moving even faster than it was before!" Shigeru cried out, his face turning ashen as he leaned forward.

"Oh, my god! The Angel! It's starting to _absorb _the ozone! It's actually _feeding _on it now!" Maya reported, her eyes rounding with horror.

"Dammit! Stop the ozone!" Misato ordered, sounding like she was swallowing a lump of bile as she did so.

Looking away from the cries of fear and confusion, from the madness that resulted of humanity's instinct for survival, Ritsuko focused on the holographic display once more. Grateful beyond belief for the ability to detach herself from her emotions, if only for a time. To leave her current situation behind and embrace the unknown, to study it and understand it. And it was that mentality that allowed to murmur, "Incredible. It's adapting, evolving…"

Just as she was losing herself in her study of their would-be destroyer, Ritsuko gasped in shock when the holographic display broke up into waves of static. "What's happening now?"

"We've got an unidentified intruder!" Shigeru reported, looking even paler than Rei ever did. "Someone's hacked into the network! The signal's coming in C-Mode!"

"I'm opening a decoy entry!" Makoto reported, his fingers a blur as he put his words into action. Then he let out a groan of dismay and reported, "No good! It avoided the decoy!"

"Can you trace the signal?" Ritsuko asked, a niggling suspicion deepening the pit forming inside of her.

"Working on it! I just need a few more seconds!" Shigeru responded. Apparently oblivious to the efforts of the rest of the bridge crew, to their various failures to stop the intruder, the long-haired tech finally gasped. "Impossible! The signal's coming from under the B-wing! _From inside the pribnow box!"_

"What?" Misato hissed while Ritsuko moved to stand behind Maya's station. Leaning in closely, she studied her understudy's display, of another shot of the Angel. And watched as the glowing patches on the simulation body shifted, changing from blotches of red to patterns of gold. Patterns that Ritsuko instantly recognized the purpose of.

"The optical pattern has changed!" Maya squawked even as Ritsuko's suspicions were confirmed. And the pit in her stomach opened up into a chasm.

"That's it! This Angel…it's not just an infection…it's a nanite collective!" Ritsuko announced, her eyes widening with shock and awe. "It's configured itself into an organic supercomputer!"

* * *

"So sister really _is _a Martian?" Nozomi demanded, looking at Kodama with undisguised excitement.

"That's right," Kodama confirmed, smiling in triumph. Then she shrugged and went on to say, "Well, actually I suppose I should say _half-_Martian. As I've already explained, we ran a comparison between her current blood samples and my own, and as near as we can tell, about half of her DNA is still human."

"And…it's going to _stay_ that way, right?" Hikari asked pointedly. Many unspoken fears showing in her words.

"I think so," Kodama replied as she forked up a chunk of grilled salmon into her mouth. Speaking around the tender meat, she added "According to this morning's sample, your DNA seems to be done reconfiguring itself. Your cell structures are still fluctuating somewhat, so I'm guessing they're still adapting to the new genetic code, but other than that…"

"So I can stop worrying if I'm suddenly going to stop breathing oxygen or turn into an amoeba?" Hikari asked, not quite joking.

"Looks like it," Kodama confirmed, taking a sip of her soup. "It's like sensei said; the Martian DNA is extremely compatible with our own."

"How compatible?" Nozomi wondered, practically glowing with curiosity.

"Extremely." Setting down her cup of soup, the elder Horaki took a healthy chug of her soda before telling them, "Sensei's been running tests on some of the original cell samples, and it turns out that over eighty percent of their DNA is a perfect match for our own." Letting out a low chuckle, Kodama looked Hikari right in the eye. "I swear, you should have seen him when he came in to tell me that! He was jumping all over the place, shouting and cheering and just going nuts! I think he said 'Nobel Prize' at least a dozen times before I was able to get him to settle down."

Wincing at the mention of the Nobel Prize, and how such an event would in all likelihood necessitate her direct involvement, Hikari shook her and focused on other matters. "So, anyway, Kodama…you're _sure _that these things…they're from Mars? You're absolutely _positive_ of that?"

"Absolutely. The meteorite's composition is a perfect match for the conditions found on Mars," Kodama confirmed as she chomped down on more of the salmon. "Why do you ask?"

"Well…I don't know," Hikari answered, giving a tired shrug. "It's just…seems so impossible…"

"It's not. Not if you think about it," Kodama told her, taking another chug of her drink. "After all, scientists have found a few other meteorites that have been confirmed to have been Martian in origin. And they've also discovered cellular fossils inside, and…"

"But there's a big difference between those things and anything that's like a human being," Hikari commented grumpily. "And how could Mars ever support that kind of life, anyway? It's a dead planet!"

"It is _now,_" Kodama quickly agreed. "But scientists have confirmed that, at some point in the past, Mars had water and a viable atmosphere. It probably had some form of plant life as well. And given those conditions, there is the possibility that intelligent life could have evolved."

"Something similar to _us?_" Hikari frowned, raising an eyebrow at the idea.

"Well, not _too _similar," Kodama corrected. "The fact is, even at its height, Mars would have been an extremely harsh and dangerous planet. There's no way it could have ever supported human life as we know it." Pausing to down some more soup, the eldest Horaki gave her sister a very serious look. "It stands to reason that, whatever beings lived on Mars, they must have been extremely strong and durable, and perfectly adapted to that environment."

Sitting back in her chair, Hikari stared wide-eyed at her sister. "Really."

Nodding, Kodama to another bite of her dinner. "Actually, it goes a long way in explaining all the changes you've gone through. For one thing, Mars is much colder than Earth, being further away from the sun. The creatures there must've been accustomed to the extreme cold, which is probably why you had such a hard time dealing with the heat when we went to sensei's lab." Giving this a moment to sink in, the budding scientist added, "And I'd be willing to bet that the increased strength you've shown, plus your shape-changing would have probably been essential to survival on Mars."

While Hikari was considering these words, she became aware of Nozomi grinning at her. "It also explains why you've been breaking so many dishes lately, sister!" she needled, laughing at her own wit.

"Watch it, Nozomi…!" Hikari growled deep in her throat, her cheeks burning with humiliation. Something that wasn't helped when Kodama chuckled as well.

"You have to admit that you've been kind of rough on the china lately, Hikari," Kodama smirked.

"It's not like I _meant _to do it!" Hikari retorted, glowering at her siblings. Flush it with embarrassment as she recalled her first few nights of trying to adapt to her new condition. Of trying to take care of the duties assigned to her, only to be reminded time and again that she was a stranger in her own body. "The plates just snapped in my hands! I didn't think I was holding them that tightly!"

"I'm just glad Dad chalked it all up to you coming down with a case of Klutz-itis and decided to invest in a new set of dinnerware," Kodama smirked.

"Keep it up, and he'll need to invest in a new _table_ as well," Hikari growled, glaring dangerously at her sisters. They both got the picture, and immediately focused on eating their dinners. Watching them for a bit longer, to make sure that there were no further snickers at her expense, the green girl decided to have some more of her own dinner before speaking again.

When her plate was all but empty, Hikari once again focused on Kodama. "Anyway, Kodama, I see what you mean about Mars. But…if there used to besome kind of intelligent life up there, wouldn't we have seen some evidence of them? Old cities…villages…something?"

"Possibly. We might find the remnants of whatever used to be up there, if somebody actually went there and conducted a thorough survey," Kodama commented around another mouthful. "But really, Hikari, these beings wouldn't have had to be all _that _advanced. Probably on the level of…chimpanzees or cavemen, and nothing more. They wouldn't have left any real trace of their existence. No buildings or anything." While Hikari was frowning at this, silently admitting that her sister had a point, Kodama added, "Besides, there's also the time factor to consider."

Momentarily freezing, Hikari looked up and said, "What does time have to do with anything?"

"Everything, actually," Kodama told her, again smiling in triumph. "You see, all other meteorites from Mars that have been found on Earth range from being over four billion years old to almost 200 million years. But the one the cell samples came from was a lot more recent."

"How recent?" Hikari asked, realizing that she was missing something important and not liking it.

"According to carbon dating, sensei's meteorite is just over five _hundred _years old," Kodama informed them. Smiling even more deeply when both her sisters discarded their interest in dinner and fixed their gazes on her.

"What? For real?" Nozomi squeaked out while Hikari stared at her in silence.

"That's right," Kodama informed them. "That means that those single-celled organisms had millions, maybe billions of years to evolve. And that'd be more than enough time for them or their cousins to change into little green men." She then cocked her head to the side and added, "Or girls, as the case may be."

Barely paying attention as her sisters continued to bounce the subject about, Hikari looked down at her own hands. Hands so different from her own, pale, human hands. _Five hundred years ago, _she thought, trying to wrap her mind around the idea. That just five centuries past, Mars was a world with life on it. That boasted beings similar in form to humans, and with powers that she was barely beginning to understand. _What would they have been like? _she wondered. _Were they…Martian cavemen, like Kodama said? Or…were they more? Did they…have cities? A civilization of their own?_

As Hikari studied her own green flesh, she couldn't help but think that the latter was correct. That whatever flesh had mingled from her had come from something more than mindless savages. That they were a people that, while different from herself, had souls of their own. Had lives with meaning, with purpose.

_Of course, that might be just wishful thinking on my part, _Hikari smiled self-depreciatingly. _Or it could be just a case of all the time Nozomi spends watching rubbing off on me._

Returning her attention to the present, Hikari studied her older sister. "So, anyway, Kodama…any idea how much longer until my body finally settles down? Until I…finish changing into Lil' Miss Martian?"

"Good question," Kodama admitted around the remainder of her dinner. Tilting her head this way and that, she visibly considered the matter. "Well, as I said earlier, your cell structures are still adapting to the Martian DNA, but they do seem to be stabilizing. They're not changing as rapidly…_despite _the changes to your diet." While Hikari was wincing at this none-too-subtle reminder of her new eating habits, the elder sister shrugged. "I'd guess…a week. Maybe two."

"Two weeks," Hikari repeated, caught between relief and fear. Relief that her body would soon be stable…and fear of what that end result might mean for her.

"Of course, it might not take that long. Or could be longer," Kodama muttered disinterestedly. Before Hikari could say anything on the matter, the budding scientist looked towards the kitchen. "Say, I'm still hungry. Do we have anything for dessert?"

Momentarily stunned by this change in subject, Hikari glared grumpily at her sister. "No, we don't," she grumbled, drenching her words with as much sarcasm as she could. "Because I, your bottomless pit of a sister, have already devoured everything in this house that even remotely resembles junk food."

"Hey, give me a break! I _told _you I've been skipping lunch to help sensei with these studies!" Kodama retorted. Folding her arms across her chest, Hikari made a point of looking away. Until her older sister groaned in surrender. "Okay, I'm sorry I've been giving you such a hard time about eating so much. Now, do we have something for dessert?"

Pressing her lips together as she looked back at her sister, Hikari eventually sighed. "Well…I guess you deserve _something _for all your hard work," she stated slowly, as if having to consider the matter for a while. "And as it so happens, I _did _make some raspberry pie earlier."

"Ah, that sounds good," Kodama smiled. "Could you get me a piece?"

"Hey, I want some, too!" Nozomi chimed in eagerly.

Sighing matronly, Hikari stood from her seat and started towards the kitchen. Before she could take more than a step, however, she heard a terrible voice whispering in her ear. _**The Lilum will fall…**_ came the hideous voice from before. The one from her nightmare. _**What they know, we will know.**_

Her eyes bulging in horror, Hikari froze up completely. The image of the impossible, monstrous eyes flashing in her thoughts. _No... _she whispered inwardly, the terror she had felt in her sleep returning. Just as strong and hideous as it had been before. _It…it can't be…_

"Hikari?" came the puzzled voice of Kodama, but it sounded distant. Insubstantial. "Hikari, what is it? Is something wrong?"

_**We will complete our mission. We will overcome their defenses,**_ the voice of nightmares continued on. _**Once again, we will be one with the All-Father.**_

"Sister?" came Nozomi's worried voice.

"No, stop it…!" Hikari moaned, squeezing her eyes shut as she brought her hands to her temples. "Please…leave me alone…!"

There was a moment of silence before the alien voice spoke again. _**What? **_it said, almost sounding confused.

"Leave you…Hikari, what are you saying?" Kodama wondered, sounding even more distant. On some level, Hikari heard two sets of footsteps approaching her, could sense what could only be her sisters coming up alongside her. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Sister!" came Nozomi's plaintive cry, but like everything else, it seemed so far away from her. Like it was happening to someone else, rather than Hikari.

_**Again,**_ came the alien voice. A voice that was already much more real than those belonging to Hikari's sisters. _**This is impossible. You are dead. You cannot be here.**_

"No…please, no!" Hikari begged, clawing at her scalp, trying to excise the foul voice. Shaking her head fiercely, she took a few steps back before opening her eyes…and found herself in complete darkness. Darkness that took her breath away, leaving her shaking in terror. Every inch of her body having gone cold, her heart all but stopping in the face of this new reality.

"No…this is just a dream…" Hikari moaned despairingly. Even as hundreds of eyes slowly opened up, and focused their cruel gazes on her…

* * *

"Hikari! _Hikari!_" Kodama cried out, unable to make sense of what was happening. At how her sister had been acting perfectly normal one moment, and the next, was babbling incoherently while trying to rip open her own head.

"Sister, _please!_" Nozomi pleaded, wrapping her arms about Hikari's waist even as the afflicted girl staggered backwards.

As Kodama stood there, unsure whether or not she should also try to restrain Hikari, their afflicted sibling groaned in pain, her fingernails digging even deeper into her head, pulling the malleable flesh to impossible lengths. "No…this is just a dream…" the green girl moaned desperately, slowly shaking her head in denial. Until at last she was jolted ramrod straight, loosing a cry of terror that sent her sisters scrambling backwards, covering their ears.

_Wh-what is going on here? Is she having a seizure? _Kodama wondered. Momentarily wishing she had taken a course in medicine, she watched through pain-narrowed eyes as Hikari screamed. Screamed, screamed, screamed, like every horror and nightmare humanity could imagine was attacking her all at once. The torment she was being so visibly subjected to painful for her to watch.

Then, as suddenly as it began, Hikari fell silent. The transformed matriarch's eyes rolled up into her head as she slumped forward and crashed to the floor. Limp as a puppet whose strings had been cut.

"Sister!" Nozomi shrieked, recoiling at the sight of Hikari lying still on the floor. Shaking like a leaf in a hurricane, the youngest Horaki soon looked towards Kodama. "I-is she…?"

Meeting Nozomi's gaze, Kodama grimaced when she realized that she was the one expected to deal with this situation. Turning to look at Hikari's prone form, the eldest sister found herself wishing that she were someplace else. Preferably sensei's lab, or maybe the library. Certainly anywhere but there, dealing with this.

After a few seconds of waiting, only to find herself not waking up from this nightmare or being magically transported to a locale of her choosing, Kodama heaved a deep breath and slowly knelt down beside her sister. As gently as she could, terrified of doing something, anything to make this situation even worse, Kodama placed her fingers to Hikari's neck. And to her immense and immediate relief, she found a steady pulse.

"Well, her heartbeat seems normal, and she's still breathing," Kodama quickly reported, taking note of the rising and falling of Hikari's chest. Frowning and basically making things up as she went along, she then forced one of Hikari's eyes open. Only to gasp at what she saw.

"What is it?" Nozomi squealed, jumping at the Kodama's fearful reaction.

Kodama didn't respond right away. Instead, she hovered over her sister and watched and analyzed. As her conscious mind slowly collapsed beneath the weight of this crisis, another part of her took over. The analytical portion of her mind, the part of her that was a scientist taking over. And it was that part that took note of the importance of what she was seeing. "Rapid eye movement."

"Huh?" Nozomi gaped, her fear momentarily forgotten.

"Look! See?" Kodama told her, pointing towards the opened eye. As they watched, the crimson pupil moved about, dilating and contracting seemingly at random. "Hikari…she's dreaming."

"Dreaming?" Nozomi repeated incredulously before she turned a ghostly white. "Kodama! Sister had a strange nightmare today! Before you got back!"

"A…strange nightmare?" Kodama repeated blankly.

As quickly as she could, Nozomi explained what had had happened. "Sister wouldn't tell me what it was about, but…I could tell that it really scared her. And she was moaning and saying things like she was just now, and…"

Frowning even more deeply, Kodama returned her attention to her fallen sister. "I don't like the sound of that, Nozomi," she muttered, her scared mind already conjuring up several possibilities. "I don't like it at all…"

_**

* * *

**_

How can this be possible?

the huge, horrible voice demanded. The horde of eyes set against the darkness moving about seemingly at random, swirling all around their prey. _**You are dead. You cannot be here. You are dead.**_

"Stop it!" Hikari shrieked as she flew aimlessly through the void, her arms raised before her face. "Just leave me alone! _I'm not dead!"_

_**You are not dead, and yet we remember you as being dead,**_ the voice returned even as one of the huge eyes shot in front of Hikari, coming within a few inches of her face. _**How can this be possible? We do not understand.**_

"And you think _I _do?" Hikari shrieked back, somehow flinging herself away from the eye. "Please, let me go! I haven't done anything to you!"

_**Incorrect. You have hurt us,**_ the voice countered, several more eyes closing in on her. _**You have fought us. You have killed us.**_ There was a pause, as if the hundreds of eyes were considering their own words. Seconds passed, and then the being spoke. Its voice carrying with it something that could only be described as anger. _**Therefore, we conclude that we must kill you before you can do so again.**_

The impossible horde of eyes began moving as one, a massive swarm that bore down upon Hikari with malicious intent. Gasping as her mind was completely emptied by fear, the green girl turned about and tried to escape. She wasn't sure if she was flying or floating or something else, nor did she care. All she knew, all she cared about, was getting away from this monster before it could make good on its promise.

_**You cannot escape. We will kill you. Everything you are will become us,**_ the eyes vowed. And as Hikari continued to move, she realized that there was good chance they would succeed. She could see nothing beyond the eyes except for more darkness, and as she moved onwards, more and more of the eyes opened up. Each of them fixing her with its evil gaze as it moved towards her.

Just as her terror was leading her into despair, Hikari gasped in surprise as she caught sight of something off in the distance. A light, set somewhere beyond the field of eyes.

Not even bothering to consider the possibility that she was exchanging one doom for another, Hikari started towards the light. The eyes, still repeating their promise of death, moved to pursue her, with even more appearing from the darkness and joining the chase. All the while, the strange light grew ever closer. Taking on greater definition with each passing second. Looking more and more like…a door in space.

_Head into the light, _Hikari found herself thinking somewhat humorlessly as she continued to approach the one and only tear in the void of darkness. Hoping that this wasn't a one-way ticket to the afterlife or some other doom, the green girl raised her arms to shield herself…just before plunging through the strange gateway.

Momentarily blinded by the transition, Hikari squeezed her eyes almost shut until she got through to the other side. When she reached the other side of the breach in the darkness, she gasped in shock at what she saw. Instead of a set of pearly gates or a raging inferno filled with demons, she saw three islands floating in the air, surrounded by vast, towering walls that encapsulated this strange space. All of the islands were connected to each other by a series of different bridges, with glowed and pulsated with streams of light.

"Wh-what the – oh!" Hikari started as she continued to look about, and found that she was flying over a similar bridge. Shifting to look back at the portal she had used, she gasped at the sight of the same darkness she had escaped from spreading across the walls of this strange, slowly spreading onto the bridge as well. And set in the dark ooze were more of the eyes, all of them still glaring hatefully at her.

_Then…they're all one thing! One…creature! _Hikari thought, shuddering in revulsion. _And I…I was inside of it!_

As she tried to clear her mind of that horrible image, Hikari looked ahead, towards the three strange islands. Each island unlike anything had ever seen before, and each was different from the other, with its own castle sitting atop it. One castle was an old-fashioned, Feudal-style abode surrounded by cherry trees, pink with beautiful blossoms. The second was like something from Britain, only so garish and encrusted with jewels and extravagant décor that it hurt Hikari's eyes just to look at it. While the third castle, the one closest to her, looked like something Kensuke would dream up. Its walls were composed of shimmering metal, and glowing points flowed about the windows.

"What is this place, anyway?" Hikari wondered as she continued to look about perplexedly. "And more importantly, how do I get out of here?" Frowning as no voice spoke up to give her the answers, the green girl turned her focus to the islands. "I guess my best chance to knock on the doors, and see if there's anybody home to give me directions."

With this thought in mind, Hikari considered her options. Of the three islands, the one with the techno-castle was the closest, and looked the most formidable. Possibly the safest place to hide, should the ooze-and-eyeball monster get there before she could get away.

"Okay, then," Hikari muttered, pushing herself for the speed she could and not even sure how she was managing to do so. "Let's just hope I'm not making another huge mistake…"

After what felt like forever but was probably only a few minutes, Hikari arrived at the target island. To her astonishment, it looked even stranger close-up than it did from a distance. The island was bare of vegetation; instead, massive computers and bizarre equipment right out of Star Trek sprouted out of the ground, all of them interconnected by glowing circuits. Gawking at all of them in turn, Hikari eventually realized that all of the circuits led back to the castle itself, feeding into circuits spread throughout its walls.

_What kind of psycho could have dreamed up this techno-nightmare? _Hikari thought, suffering second and even third thoughts about this. Casting glances at the other islands, she considered going to one of them for assistance, but then shook her head. There was no guarantee that the other islands wouldn't be any less creepy when subjected to close inspection, and it wasn't as if she was in the position to be picky, anyway.

Gritting her teeth as she resigned herself to her fate, Hikari hurried past the high-tech artifacts and headed directly towards a massive gate set into the castle wall. Quickly landing, she ran up to the closed metal door and placed her hands against it. "Uh, hello! Is anybody in there?" she cried out, darting a glance back towards the bridge and the nightmarish creature she just escaped from. To her horror, she found that the monster had spread even further, and was oozing across the bridge. Not requiring much imagination to realize what the creature's ultimate objective was, Hikari returned her attention to the door. "Please! If anybody's in there, then please, let me in! There's a -!"

**(Command recognized. Access granted)** came another disembodied voice. Like the creature's, it was flat and atonal. However, this voice sounded like an older woman. And to Hikari's immense relief, it was followed by the gate to the castle sliding open, allowing her inside.

"Oh, thank you!" Hikari grinned, almost swooning with relief as she entered. The instant she was inside, the gate slid closed once more, causing her to pause and look back for a moment. But before she could give any thought to the matter, she became aware of someone approaching. Turning to look down one of the hallways, the pigtailed girl saw a woman coming towards her. She was an attractive woman of about thirty to forty, and had dark, curly hair that was cut in close, businesslike manner. And to Hikari's surprise, she was dressed in a lab coat, with a tag marked GEHIRN on it.

"Greetings. I am Melchior," the woman announced as she came to stand before Hikari. "How may I be of service?"

Blinking at this statement, Hikari frowned in confusion. "Melchior?" she repeated blankly. Brushing aside the temptation to ask what kind of name that was, the green girl quickly got to business. "Listen, um, I don't know how to tell you this, but there's some kind of monster out there! It's coming this way, and -!"

"I know," Melchior told her, her tone as businesslike as the rest of her. "The Angel has successfully infected NERV's computer network, including the main security banks. As such, it has obtained all the codes required to allow it free access to all of NERV's systems."

Her eyes bulging in horror, Hikari took a step back and gasped, "An Angel? _That's _what's this thing is?" Melchior responded with a simple nod, leaving the pigtailed matriarch to try and make sense of the situation. "But…how'd it get here? And for that matter…where _is _here, anyway?"

"I do not know how the Angel was able to enter the Geofront undetected. Nor do I know the location of your physical body," Melchior confessed. "For some reason, I am unable to track the source of your signal."

Staggered with confusion, Hikari gave a quick shake of her head before sputtering out, "M-my signal?" Feeling like her mind was about to overload from all the insanity it was being subjected to, she stared incredulously at the woman for a long time. "Wait a minute. You…you said your name was…Melchior, right?"

Nodding, the scientist replied, "That is correct."

As Hikari stood there, staring at the woman, she found herself thinking that this was it. That after all the stress, the transformation her body had been subjected to, the nightmares, all of it and more had finally succeeded in driving her completely insane. "Melchior," she murmured, awaiting the confirmation that she was ready for the funny farm. "As in…one of the MAGI? The supercomputers that run Japan?"

"That is correct. You are presently interfacing with the MAGI network," Melchior confirmed. Cocking her head towards Hikari, she asked, "Do you have any other questions?"

Her mind faltering completely, Hikari rocked back and forth on her heels, staring in astonishment at the embodiment of one of the MAGI. "Yeah…I have another question," she asked before flopping down on her posterior. "How the hell can I finally wake up from this nightmare…?"

Tilting her head to one side, Melchior studied Hikari. "Your request does not compute. Please elaborate."

"Sure. Why not?" Hikari answered automatically, almost laughing as she spoke. "But…I suggest you take a seat. This is probably going to take a while…"

* * *

"What the hell is the Angel looking for?" Fuyutsuki wondered as he stood at Gendo's side, surveying the controlled chaos below him. "What's it trying to do?"

It wasn't long before he received his answer. "The Angel's scanning the directories! I…oh, god, _no!_" Shigeruu shrieked in horror. "The MAGI! It's going after _them!"_

Frowning as his heartbeat quickened, Fuyutsuki realized that their situation had just gotten that much worse. The MAGI were responsible for controlling almost all of Japan's functions. They had effectively replaced the government for practical intents and purposes, and held sway over all of NERV's higher functions and deepest secrets. If the Angel succeeded in taking control of them…

Clearly thinking along the same lines as Fuyutsuki, Gendo rose up somewhat. "Deactivate the I/O system!"

"Right!" Makoto shouted even as he and Shigeru drew forth a set of command keys. Inserting them into their consoles, the two techies looked at each other. "System shutdown!"

Nodding, Shigeru prepared to coordinate for simultaneous action. "Right! In three…two…one!" The two techies turned their keys at exactly the same moment. Then they waited, looking at each other. The realization that their effort had failed slowly dawning as they both fell back on their controls. With Shigeru giving voice to their horror. _"We can't! _The I/O system's locked! There's nothing we can do!"

* * *

Author's Notes: I know this is a rotten place for me to cut off, but after weeks of struggling with this chapter, I finally decided to just go ahead and post what I had done and hope for the best. Still, I hope you will read and review, and maybe check out my other stories as well.

One of the main problems I had going into this chapter was the fact that I really wanted to get some more action into this story, so originally, I tried to set it up so that Hikari would learn that her father was in danger, and attempt to go down to NERV and try to save the day. But the problems I had with that approach just kept piling up, and ultimately, I had to scrap half this chapter and start over again, with Hikari somehow perceiving the Angel mentally and being drawn into a sort mindscape with it. I'll do some explaining about that later on, and hopefully, it'll make sense.

Quathis, I know what you mean. Hikari is about the only person Asuka will treat with any measure of respect. Though there are times I wonder if that says more about Asuka or Hikari.

Mike313, my basic plans for Yukari and Shiro are quite simple. Given that this is NGE, things are almost certainly going to get grim later on. And we're going to be needing some comic relief. As for why Asuka brought Shinji along…well, she makes him do just about everything else. Besides, in terms of pairings, I'm going to be keeping my options open for now. And don't worry, it won't be long before Hikari finally gets her powers more-or-less under control.

Zoro50, I am trying to move to where Hikari is using her powers to protect people and fight bad guys, though I'm glad you're liking the focus on family here. I'm still trying to decide on the ultimate big bad for this fic. As for Yukari and Shiro…they're going to be more like Team Rocket then Flash Thompson. And they'll probably have about as much luck with their schemes as well.

Ryousanki, thanks for the suggestions regarding supplements to Hikari's diet.

Rassilon001, yeah, Yukari's got reasons for being nasty. Though I definitely hate people like her. And yeah, sugar as a catalyst to Martian physical power makes a great deal of sense. Plus, it makes for some good comedic potential, considering how many food-dependant hero-types in anime.

Whew…I'm wiped. I just hope this chapter's omake turns out to be funny, at least…

Omake

"Honestly! Where do people like her come from, anyway?" Kodama continued as she exited her room, having shed her more formal garb in favor of a set of slacks and shirt. Completely oblivious to the fact that her sister was slowly changing, allowing herself to shift to her alien colors even the college woman came back downstairs. "So, anyway, how much longer until dinner is ready?" Again standing before her mutated sibling, the eldest Horaki frowned somewhat as she looked into her narrowed, crimson eyes. "Is something wrong, Hikari?"

Practically hearing the snap resulting of this one last straw, Hikari moved up to her sister and placed her hands to her hips. "No," she growled even as she lifted Kodama up off the floor. The eldest sister squawking as Hikari gave her a shake and declared, "But if you don't tell me what you found out in about _three seconds_, then I promise you, something will be _very _wrong! _Got it!_"

"Okay, okay!" Kodama cried out, caught between shock and something resembling amusement. "I get the idea, Hikari! Now put me down!"

Still frowning her displeasure, Hikari snorted lightly before setting Kodama back down on her feet. Taking a step back out of the green girl's reach, Kodama gently fingered the points where she had been grabbed. "I see you're still getting stronger," she commented, wincing at her own touch. "I'm starting to wonder if Nozomi was right when she called you a superwoman."

"Kodama, _please! _I'm not in the mood for this!" Hikari grumbled, placing her hands to her hips. "I've already had a bad day as it is! So would you please just…" The pigtailed girl trailed off as Kodama looked past her, her brows knotting. "What is it?"

"Um, Hikari?" Kodama wondered, pointing into the kitchen. "I think the soup's boiling over."

Her eyes going wide at this, Hikari whirled about and let out a screech of dismay when she saw a foamy wave pushing past the lid and spilling on the heating unit. Dashing over to the oven, she quickly pulled off the lid, only to wince in pain and recoil from the sudden wave of steam billowing up at her.

"Oh, no! The soup! It's ruined!" Hikari moaned, looking at the disgusting lump that remained at the center of the pot. Then she looked over at the rest of the dinner, and growled in disgust. "And the salmon, too? _Arrggh!_"

"How is that even possible?" Kodama wondered, shaking her head at the extra-crispy mess. "How could everything burn up so fast?"

"How should I know?" Hikari groaned, placing her hand to her temples. "I guess I better call for pizza, after all."

* * *

Meanwhile, up in her room, Nozomi was grinning in delight as she listened to Hikari placing her order. "Yes! This is working great!" she chortled, holding up the remote control for the tiny motors she had placed in the oven. "Sorry, sister, but there are some nights I just gotta have pizza! And now that I've rewired the stove…I'm gonna be getting food _my _way _every _day!"


End file.
